Prince Tsunayoshi
by regenengel3
Summary: Kingdom AU. He was the least likely to be named King, but he was the only one saved when Byakuran attacked. Follow Prince Tsunayoshi as he gathers his Pillars and prepares to win back his Kingdom and rescue those close to him.
1. Chapter 1

A/N:The idea was taken from the prolog of 'Sky Rising' on . The rest of the story is my take on what the 'No-Good Prince' should do to reclaim his birthright. One more warning: MAJOR OOC throughout the story.

Disclaimer: Plot twists are mine, and not much else. Enjoy.

**Chapter 1:** A Coup and a New Beginning

_ IN A land ruled by Flame wielding Kings supported by six Pillars, where dragons roamed free while elves danced in the forests, there was one Prince that everyone said was no good. His name was Tsunayoshi Sawada. He was only thirteen, but he had been training with the top seven warriors of the Vongola Kingdom from the time he was old enough to walk. Despite this training, the boy's Flame of the King, which had been almost too much for him to handle when he was born, had shrunk into near non-existence. On top of seemingly losing his Flame, the boy was clumsy and lazy. There were three other Heirs to the throne, but the Arceblano had taken an all too keen interest in Tsunayoshi's claim. And so, when a white haired youth plots a coup, the strongest assassin takes action, before it is too late._

Prince Tsunayoshi, called Dame-Tsuna by his tutor, Reborn, as well as most of his kingdom, was sleeping peacefully in his bed when suddenly he felt a presence in his room. He groaned and tried to convince his Hyper Intuition, part of the reason the Strongest Seven had taken an interest in him, that there was no way anyone could have gotten into his room. The door was locked and the window firmly fastened. The presence came closer. Tsuna groaned again, now realizing it wasn't his imagination, no matter how badly he wished it were. "Wake up, Dame-Tsuna," Reborn said, ripping the blankets back with one hand and shoving Tsuna to the floor with the other. Somehow, Tsuna was able to twist around to break his fall, but it still woke him faster and more completely than any bucket of water could have.

"You said we wouldn't have training in the morning, Reborn," the soft looking boy whined. His gravity defying brown hair was mused and his large, chocolate brown eyes were half closed. Reborn snorted and dropped a set of clothes on the pouting Prince's head. It was a pair of nondescript brown canvas pants, a white shirt with a few ties at the collar, and a brown vest. Commoner clothing. Tsuna took the silent hint and quickly got dressed. Over the past eleven years of his life, Tsuna had learned to never question Reborn if he wanted to live. "Want to tell me what this is for?" he asked, his intuition telling him that something dangerous was coming, and soon.

"No. Get dressed or I'll haul you out half naked," the assassin said, ruffling through the Prince's wardrobe. Tsuna sighed but quickly got done dressing himself. There was only so much embarrassment a boy could take after all.

"I'm dressed, ready to tell me what you woke me up at... three in the morning?" It is important to note that, while the Prince was clumsy and it seemed he had lost his Flame, he was not entirely stupid. Aside from his intuition, which had already saved his life on more than one occasion, Tsuna had the ability to learn from his surroundings. He knew how to tell time and position from the stars as well as the sun, how to locate water, determine geographic features from the sound of the wind, and charm his way out of almost anything. Too bad that particular talent didn't work on Reborn.

"Your mission," Reborn said, hauling the boy onto his shoulders. Tsuna sighed and grabbed his boots as they passed his wardrobe. Reborn was tall, so it was a bit of a stretch, though the assassin might have leaned over and bent his knees a little to assist the young Heir. No-one would say anything if he had. Tsuna pulled on and laced his boots, rather clumsily, as Reborn carried him to the gates.

"What's going on, Reborn? I can tell that something's not right," Tsuna tried again, panic raising up and beginning to dispel the state of calm his half asleep mind had been in even as he struggled with his boots.

"You need to go to the town of Sol Levante. A friend of mine is living there with his son and daughter. Go to the Dom Gym and ask for Zuuca Sasagawa. Tell him I sent you and that I said, 'E giunto il momento per voi di pagare il tuo debito. Il Sentiero de Ceilo e cominciata.' He'll understand." Tsuna understood that his tutor was serious, and committed his words to memory, but he had an extremely bad feeling.

"Something bad is about to happen, isn't it?" he asked when his tutor set him down near the gate. Reborn simply tossed an orange rucksack at his head and then kicked him over the fifty foot wall surrounding the castle. Wincing in pain, Tsuna picked himself up and, casting one last look at the locked gates of the only home he had ever known, trudged off into the lightening gloom. Reborn watched as his favorite student trudged off into the sunrise.

"Good luck, my 'dame' student," he whispered to the wind. Heavy footsteps closed in all around the assassin, but he was unworried. Really, those fools were just lining themselves up to be knocked down. "Do you think you have me cornered, fools?" he asked calmly, though his hand did go to his shoulder where his pet shapeshifter sat waiting. The men all shifted uneasily as the suit wearing, tall, and all too deadly man reached for what they knew to be the most dangerous and bloodied weapon of near mass destruction. Sure the creature usually turned into a gun, but in the hands of that tall, deceptively young looking man even something as simple as a gun could destroy entire city blocks.

"Stop, under orders of the Tenth Successor!" one brave, or foolish, soldier said. Reborn smirked at the waver in his voice, the smirk only serving to further unnerve his would be attackers.

"The Tenth Successor? Tenth Successor of what, an abnormally large ego? The Tenth King of the Vongola Kingdom has just left to find the one who shall be his Sun Pillar," the dangerous man said with a faint tinge of amusement in his voice.

"Ho? So you did know I was planning a coup. I expect nothing less from the leader of the Strongest Seven. Tell me, why chose Dame-Tsuna to save instead of Erico, the favorite for the throne?" asked a white haired youth only three years older than Tsuna. Reborn's smirk vanished.

"There are three things he has that you do not, four that you do not understand. One," a shot rang out, followed by a scream, "he has knowledge of what love is. Two," another shot rang out followed by a thud, "he has honor. Three," yet another of Byakuran followers fell, a bullet lodged in his leg, "he has compassion. Four," a fourth shot, "he has intuition that rivals my own. Five," the fifth bullet left Reborn's gun, "he can see into a person's heart. Six," a sixth round was fired into the ranks of rapidly thinning traitors, "he has true power. And lastly," the gun was pressed against Byakuran's forehead, "he has accepted his weakness. This is what will allow the true Tenth Successor of the Sky's Will to reclaim his Kingdom and show the world who he truly is. You see, the Right has already be given. All that was left was the Trial, which you so graciously provided. Really I should be thanking you, but that would be giving you too much credit," Reborn finished, lifting his gun and firing a grappling hook and swinging to a near by roof. "The Nono will wager the kingdom against your favorite brand of marshmallow that Tsunayoshi will be able to overcome the trial and bring you to your knees, if you feel up to it, that is," he added with a smirk before he vanished. Byakuran waved off his remaining follower's concerns.

"He will be no trouble. He as good as made this a sanctioned game. The Strongest Assassin will watch from the shadows as our little drama unfolds," the boy said before he swept back into the complex and away from the chill night air. Reborn grinned in the night as he watched the boy rally his troops. Once the troublesome youth was inside, Reborn left for the Sky Temple where he would find Luce, the true boss of their little organization.

"So the trial has begun. You know your task, Reborn-san. You are to watch and instruct, never to fight. Is this understood?" asked Luce with a tired expression of sadness.

"It is understood, Ceilo," Reborn said with a bow as his curse was replaced, reducing him to an infant. Once the transformation was complete, he vanished. He would await Tsuna at Pioggia Valle where the Rain Pillar would be found.

Tsuna collapsed around noon at the edge of Sol Levante. He looked up at the gates and smiled wanly. The Keepers of the Gate had seen him and sent a runner to question him. "I need to get to Dom Gym, deliver message to Zuuca," he said before he fainted. The runner, who happened to be Ryohei Sasagawa that day, wondered what the strange youth could possibly want with his father. Shrugging, the strong youth pulled the limp boy to his feet and draped his arm over his own shoulder.

"I'll take care of him. Seems he has business with my father," the silver haired youth said as he passed the Keeper. Ray nodded and let the exuberant boy take the stranger. When Tsuna woke, it was to the sound of arguing men and a tempting smell. "Ah! He's awake!" Royhei shouted. Immediately, the whole Sasagawa family was at Tsuna's bedside.

"I was told by Reborn to go to the Dom Gym and I collapse at the gates of the city. Sure I was walking since three am with a brief breakfast break, but still," he grumbled.

"Who are you and how do you know Reborn?" asked Zuuca, seeing now why his son had brought the child to the house. Tsuna's eyes quickly latched onto his face.

"My name is Tsuna and Reborn was my tutor. He sent me to find a man named Zuuca and deliver a message. I'm assuming from there, Zuuca will give me instruction," he said.

"I am Zuuca. Deliver your message, Tsuna," the boxer said, shooing his family out. Tsuna nodded and repositioned himself on the bed.

"Reborn says, 'E giunto il momento per voi di pagare il tuo debito. Il Sentiero de Ceilo e cominciata.' He also said you'd understand," he relayed. Zuuca paled slightly.

"So, it's time is it? I was hoping it wouldn't be for another five years. Very well, Reborn has always known best. I will send the payment of my debt with you, Prince Tsunayoshi, but you must swear to me that you will look after my son," Zuuca said. Tsuna gaped at him.

"Your son is payment for a debt? Just what did Reborn do that would constitute giving your son to pay him off?!" the young Prince asked in shocked surprise. He was trying really hard _not_ to imagine what it could be.

"Reborn hid the fact that my son, Ryohei, has the Flame of the Sun in return for my promise to give him up as the Sun Pillar of his chosen Tenth Successor. It would seem that is you, Tsunayoshi. Please, take care of my son," Zuuca answered, bowing to the young Prince. Tsuna shook his head and lifted Zuuca's head.

"I can't take your son, not even if Reborn made you promise him to me. I'll tell him Ryohei isn't right for the position. You should be free to live with your son by your side to care for your wife and daughter, and Ryohei should be free to live with his family until he chooses otherwise. Please, don't believe I have come to take him away from you," Tsuna said, hoping to grant this kind man happiness.

"I have the Sun Flame?" asked Ryohei, who had slipped into the room while Tsuna was freaking out.

"Yes, and you were promised as this boy's Sun Pillar," Zuuca said, bowing again to Tsuna.

"Have you come to take me away?" Ryohei asked, unusually quiet. Tsuna winced at the plaintive sadness in the older boy's eyes.

"No, for all that Reborn sent me to, I will not take you from your family. When you leave and with whom is, and always should be, your choice," Tsuna said, slowly and carefully stepping off of the bed.

"Then I chose to follow you, Prince Tsunayoshi," Ryohei said, surprising everyone by kneeling before the younger boy and holding out his fist. "I pledge my life and my fist to you, the Tenth Successor of the Sky's Will."

"Please, don't! I'm nothing! I can't even draw out my Flame!" shouted Tsuna, flailing his arms about with a look of wide eyed terror on his face.

"No! You are worthy to be King of the Vongola Kingdom and I will follow you!" Ryohei said, back to his usual loud self. Zuuca laughed.

"Looks like my debt will be paid with the consent of the payment. You cannot turn him away now, Prince Tsunayoshi," he said. Tsuna sighed, then clutched his head as his intuition flared up.

"It would be best if no-one knew who I really am. Please, call me Tsuna while we travel," he said suddenly. Ryohei quirked an eyebrow, but accepted what his Prince said and bowed.

"Well then, Tsuna, I think you should continue on to Pioggia Valle after you have rested for a day. Reborn-san told me that when the Tenth Successor came to tell me the Trial of the Sky had begun to send him on to find his Rain Pillar in that town," Zuuca said. Tsuna nodded and gave a bow to the kind man.

"Thank you, Zuuca-san. Do you know of an inn where I might rest?" Tsuna asked. Zuuca chuckled.

"I would be honored if you would stay in our home, young Prince."

"The honor would be mine, Master Zuuca. Reborn would not have sent me to your family if he did not trust you. Also, I would be honored if you would help me find the supplies I will need to reach Pioggia Valle safely, it would seem that Reborn only gave me enough food for breakfast this morning," Tsuna replied, drawing on the diplomacy skills he had picked up. He might not be the best, but he still had a way with words that lifted others up while making them see his view in a kinder light. Zuuca nodded and called for his daughter.

"This is Kyoko, my daughter. She knows all the best shops and their keepers' families in town. I am sure that she can help you find what you need," the master boxer said, then looped his arm around his son and took him away to train. Tsuna sighed and carefully made his way to the door.

"Is it true that you are a Prince?" Kyoko asked, looking at the stranger in poorly disguised awe. Tsuna laughed and rubbed the back of his head, causing the soft spikes of his warm brown hair to dance.

"I have royal blood, and I had the Flame of the King when I was younger. Over the years, it seems that instead of growing along with me, my Flame stayed the same and eventually, I just out grew it. So, really, I am a failure Prince. Reborn saw fit to kick me out saying I had a mission, but he didn't tell me what that mission was. I assume... no! He didn't just get rid of me!" Tsuna said, stopping suddenly. Kyoko saw his eyes go wide as some horrible revelation seemed to occur to him.

"What is it, Tsuna-san?" Kyoko asked, wondering what could have happened in his mind to make him go rigid so suddenly. He swallowed heavily, fear etched into his face, then closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Let us finish our errand. I will tell you when we return to your home, Sasagawa-san," he said, face grim and determined. Kyoko felt a shiver run down her spine. This Tsuna meant business, and made her heart contract in some unknown and painful way. When their shopping was done, Tsuna took Kyoko home and waited in the back yard for her brother and father to return. Looking out the window, Kyoko was mildly surprised to see him sitting cross-legged in meditation with a faint orange haze about him. Shaking it off, the girl went about her work, but whenever she passed the back door or one of the rear facing windows, she felt a tingle of power not completely dissimilar to when her brother got riled up, which was most of the day. However, the tingle she got from Tsuna was not only calmer, but more compelling and dangerous while at the same time made her feel even safer. All in all, it made her uncomfortable until her father and brother returned.

Ryohei was surprised when his sister threw herself into his arms as she cried about a 'wave of confusing power' coming from Tsuna in the back yard. He disengaged his sister from his chest and made his way to the back. What he found was a composed Tsuna in a cross-legged meditation pose surrounded by a faint orange haze. Suddenly, he understood what was making his sister uncomfortable. The boy was a conundrum. His aura was weak, yet dangerous, calm, yet raging, compelling, yet with a warning edge. "Tsuna!" Ryohei yelled. Tsuna's eyes opened and the haze vanished, sucked back into the boy's body.

"You're back. Good. I have some bad news and would rather only have to tell it once," Tsuna said, clumsily climbing back to his feet. Confused, Ryohei lead Tsuna into the house. Once they were all seated, Tsuna began to explain. "At first, I thought that Reborn had simply kicked me out of the palace, using my 'mission' as a cover. However, I remembered my intuition telling me that something bad was about to happen in the palace, something that would make it unsafe for me to stay there, right before Reborn booted me over the wall. Then I recalled Byakuran, a proud young Prince from the Millefore Kingdom, saying that he wouldn't mind ruling our Vongola Kingdom as well. It is my belief that Byakuran had staged a coup for the night Reborn kicked me out. My sadist tutor saved my life when he kicked me over the wall and sent me here, but he left the other Heirs in the hands of Byakuran. I cannot allow them to suffer at his hands, for suffer they will. I now know what it is I must do. I must follow the path laid out before me and hope that it will lead to peace in our kingdom."

"I will walk the path with you, Prince Tsunayoshi," Ryohei said, bowing before the smaller boy. Tsuna bowed back.

"Thank you, but I cannot guarantee you will live to see your family again," he said seriously.

"I have pledged myself to you, I won't back down now!" Ryohei said, yellow flames sparking from his fist as he clenched it tight. Tsuna nodded.

"Shall we eat now?" he asked, his face suddenly very childish. The Sasagawa family laughed and their noisy dinner began. The next day saw Tsuna repacking his bag and urging Ryohei to pack his if he was serious about going along. The day passed in a flurry of activity for all within the house and the night was filled with worried whispers coming from the living room. Tsuna lay alone in his room, staring at the ceiling and wished he didn't have to take Ryohei away from his loving family. He wished that he didn't have to leave, that Erico would be able to overcome Byakuran, that it was all a bad dream, but he looked to the door and heard Kyoko's worried tones near drowned out by her brother's exuberant reassurances. He knew it was real, and that he'd have to leave the warm house and its loving family. He rolled over and punched his pillow, mentally berating himself for falling for the pretty auburn haired younger sister of his Sun Pillar, but he knew it was inevitable. She was warm, caring, beautiful, and didn't think he was a total failure or someone great. Sighing, the boy got up and opened his window. Taking a deep breath, he reached out and took hold of the eaves. With a mighty heave, he was out of his room and on the edge of the roof. Smiling at his success, Tsuna walked as quietly as he could to the crest of the roof. Once he reached it, he sat and stared at the stars. He didn't know how long he sat there, but it felt like an eternity as the stars slowly marched over head.

"Couldn't sleep?" asked Zuuca as he joined the youth. Tsuna sighed.

"Yeah. I wish I didn't have to take Ryohei, or leave, but I know I have to or else worse things will happen. The love in this house is so strong I can almost see it, and I know that if I take Ryohei on this journey, that love will be lessened. Zuuca-san, how could you trust me, a Flameless Prince, with your son?" Zuuca sighed.

"I asked myself that when I heard Reborn's message. Then I felt your Flame and saw the compassion and recognition of love in your eyes. You knew I loved my son, and he loved me, and you were willing to go against Reborn to spare him. We recognize you as Prince, now go show the world why you were born with the Flame of the King!" Tsuna sighed, but could not contest the man.

"Zuuca-san, I feel that, had my father been chosen as an Heir in my stead, you would have been his Sun Pillar," Tsuna said, the same tingle of power he had felt when Ryohei emitted Sun Flames running down his spine.

"It would have been an honor, Prince Tsunayoshi," Zuuca said, turning back to the stars.

"I feel I'm on the threshold of a terrible and dangerous destiny that I cannot avoid and delay at the cost of lives, but I'm too afraid to cross that threshold. Words don't really convey what I'm feeling, but it's a mixture of dread and wonder. I wish I didn't have to drag anyone else down this road," Tsuna said, looking down at his trembling hands.

"Ryohei made the choice himself, and I approve. If it is you, this kingdom will experience peace and plenty like never before. You may only be remembered for taking the kingdom back from Byakuran, but that alone is enough to earn you a place in history."

"I still think the people are right to call me 'Dame-Tsuna.' Even Reborn does, though I suppose that's just part of his personality."

"I can't tell you if it's right or wrong, all I can do is tell you what I think and let you decide if I'm right or not. I think you have what it takes but just don't want to take a chance on yourself. I think you will make a great king but still need to find what it is you're fighting for. Now, go sleep on it, you have a long way to go in the morning," Zuuca said, clasping the slight boy's shoulder before slipping back in his own window. Tsuna sighed and looked back to the sky. He slept on the roof that night, under the watchful eye of the sky.

Ryohei was surprised to find Tsuna sleeping on the roof, but smiled and sat beside him, waiting for the first rays of the sun, just like every other day. Once the sun rose, Tsuna woke up. He looked to Ryohei and smiled as the sun crested the forest. "So that's why I felt so safe," he said, sitting up and stretching.

"Ready to go?" asked Ryohei, subdued by the sight of a Prince ringed by the light of the sun. Tsuna smiled again.

"As soon as I get my bag." Ryohei nodded and hopped off the roof. A few minutes later Tsuna waked out the door with his bag over his shoulder. "Let's go, Ryohei," he said, still smiling. Ryohei nodded and they left the village of the sun for the valley of the rain. Ryohei was loud and happy as they walked, but Tsuna was wary. He could feel that something wasn't quite right up ahead, but he couldn't say what it was. Twenty minutes later, they stumbled into the middle of a bear family. Tsuna screamed while Ryohei yelled, getting hyped up. The mother bear charged but Ryohei flipped it. Tsuna watched in fear mixed with awe as Ryohei fought the angry bear. But when the boxer's punch caused her to fall, Tsuna felt his chest constrict painfully. "Stop!" Tsuna yelled, dashing between Ryohei and the bear. Both froze at the sight of the trembling youth.

"But... Tsuna..." Ryohei said, plainly confused. The bear waffled the brown spikes that tickled her nose.

"Mama Bear, we don't want to hurt your babies. Please, forgive my friend his rudeness, we were just going to pass through," Tsuna said turning to the curious bear, though his voice trembled and his knees knocked. The bear fell to her feet and growled in pain. "Ryohei, use your Sun Flame to heal her paw. Your punches had too much power in them," Tsuna said, dropping down beside her.

"If you say so, Tsuna," Ryohei said, shocked into normal noise level. He took the bear's paw, but then crinkled his brow. "I don't know how," he said sadly. Tsuna sighed and put his hands around Ryohei's.

"You want to heal her, right?" he asked. Ryohei nodded. "Well, visualize your determination to heal her as flame," Tsuna instructed.

"Determination as flame?"

"Yes. Resolution, determination, and Flame are the same, you just have to visualize it," Tsuna replied and his hands suddenly began to glow with a faint orange light. "My Flame is near non-existent, and so this is the best I can do, but yours is much stronger and is more than enough to heal this mother bear," he said. Ryohei, seeing the light and feeling that tingle he had felt when he had seen his Prince meditating, nodded and did as he was instructed. Yellow, slightly sparkly, flame coated the bear's paw. In a few moments, the bear pulled back and slammed the ground. She waffled Ryohei's face as if to say thank you and herded her children away.

"You're an EXTREME guy, Prince Tsunayoshi!" the boxer said, eyes sparkling. Tsuna chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

"No, I'm really not. I just know that Mothers protect their babies and that I didn't want to see her hurt just because she was doing her job. Please don't say it like that, Ryohei-san!" Ryohei gave him a serious look.

"I refuse. You are an extreme guy and I will extremely tell it like it is," the silver haired boxer said with conviction. Tsuna sighed, but gave Ryohei the point. It wasn't like he didn't have time to prove him wrong.

"Well, anyway, let's get going. It's still a long way to Pioggia Valle you know," Tsuna said as he started walking again. Ryohei shouted(EXTREME!) and followed the soft eyed brunette farther into the forest that lay between Sol Levante and the next town, Aufhören.

The duo looked at the small village laid out below them as the sun began to sink below the tops of the trees. "We better hurry or the sun will be down before we make it to Aufhören," Tsuna said, beginning to descend toward the village. Ryohei followed behind, subdued. Tsuna paused and allowed the unusually quiet boy to drew abreast of him. "What has you so quiet?" asked Tsuna.

"This will be the first town I've been to besides Sol Levante. I'm just wondering how they'll react to me," Ryohei said. Tsuna smiled.

"It will be fine! You'll see, the townsfolk are quite nice from what I've heard from Reborn," he said, though in the back of his mind he reminded himself that Reborn was an assassin and his definition of nice was not killing you on sight, but he kept that to himself. Ryohei was encouraged by this and happily bounded down the path. Smiling, Tsuna ran to keep up. Perhaps bringing Ryohei on this trip with him wasn't so bad after all. The boxer certainly made him keep his complaints inside and forced him on when he wanted to sit and cry over his lot in life. They made the village by the time true night fell and sought out an inn were they could get a hot meal and a warm bed for a reasonable amount of coin. They found a quiet inn that was fairly cheap while still being clean and of good report. Tsuna handled the transaction while Ryohei looked around the common room in mild wonder. Once they had their food and had found a small, quiet table away from most of the other patrons, Ryohei launched into a whispered commentary. Tsuna smiled as he ate, thinking that if Ryohei hadn't been so conscious of the strangers all around he would be yelling all his words. All the same, the boxer's gray eyes were bugging out and he barely touched his food.

"And that lady! I didn't know women wore their hair like that _anywhere!_ Thank you for allowing me to travel with you, Sawada-sama!" Ryohei said, eyes shining and voice almost back to normal. Tsuna sighed, put down his fork, and, on the spur of the moment, shoved the last of his food in Ryohei's face.

"Shut up and eat. People are giving us weird looks," Tsuna said, pulling the plate off of the older boy's face and handing him a napkin. Blushing through the remnants of gravy and mashed potatoes, Ryohei took the napkin and wiped his face off before picking up his own fork and eating. Smiling at the other boy, Tsuna sat back and observed the room. Seeing the brunette smiling at them with an edge in his clear, chocolate brown eyes, the other patrons returned to their ales and dinners. When Ryohei was done, Tsuna gathered up their dishes and took them to the window where they had picked their food up. "It was delicious, thank you," he said with a winsome smile that silently said that he was sorry for the minor disturbance his friend had caused. The workers smiled and gave a nod, signaling that Ryohei was forgiven. Once the pair were in their room Tsuna claimed the floor with a sigh as he pillowed his head on his bag.

"Why don't you take the bed?" asked Ryohei. Tsuna smiled up at him.

"This is the first time you're sleeping away from your home, right?" Ryohei nodded. "I want you to be as comfortable as you can be. Besides, I promised your father that I would take care of you," Tsuna said as he settled back down. Ryohei sighed and granted the young Prince his wish, though he swore that at the next inn, Tsuna would get the bed.

A/N: I love pilots, don't you? Want more? Review and let me know!

Regenengel3


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Reborn.

**Chapter 2:** Finding the Rain

Two days out of Aufhören it began to rain. Tsuna huddled under the brown cloak his evil tutor had graciously provided while Ryohei shivered in the chilling rain. "Didn't you bring a cloak?" asked Tsuna, perplexed. Surely a cloak would be one of the first things packed when one was leaving home?

"I've never had a need for one," the boy said cheerfully, though the water dripping from his limp hair, which usually stood on end and gave him the appearance of a silver chia pet, painted a pathetic picture. It was decided. Tsuna would not allow this to continue.

"Next town we come across I'm buying you a solid cloak, and no protests! Your father put you in my care and even if he hadn't I would do it anyway. I don't want you catching a cold," Tsuna said as he gave the other boy his water proof outer garment. Ryohei wondered why Tsuna would do something like that, but let it slide when he saw the look on the boy's face. Tsuna was ecstatic. He had a friend that he could do things for! He had never had friends like that before. Everyone had either treated him like a total failure, a bad luck charm, and avoided him like the plague or as an unapproachable figure of authority. Ryohei didn't view him that way. To the older boy, Tsuna was just a traveling companion or a friend. The boxer didn't care if Tsuna acted like a King or had the Flame of the King, he just wanted to hang out and see the world. To Tsuna, a friend like that was worth sitting in the rain, even if they had only met four days ago. The next day it was still raining, but they reached Pioggia Valle. Tsuna took Ryohei's hand and tried to lead him toward a store but his foot slipped on the mud and pulled both teens down. "Sorry, I guess I'm still really clumsy," Tsuna said, blushing faintly. Ryohei laughed and took it in good stride, which is to say he began screaming about what an extreme fall it was and how it was extremely like Tsuna to slip on mud to the extreme. Tsuna sighed, vaguely dejected, then caught sight of an inn nearby. "Let's go to the inn for now and see about a bath and a hot meal," he said, tugging Ryohei toward it.

"OH! That's an EXTREME idea! Let's go!" Ryohei yelled, grabbing Tsuna's wrist and yanking him into the inn. Dazed, Tsuna fluttered behind the boxer.

"I wish he wouldn't do that," Tsuna whimpered to himself as he sat with his back against the receptionist counter about a minute later. The woman looked down at the boy with a bemused expression, until Ryohei began yelling about getting a room and a bath to the extreme.

"I'm sorry, what?" asked the lady.

"We fell in a mud puddle not too far from your door and would like a bath as well as a room for a little while. I'm sorry for my friend, he gets excited by just about everything," Tsuna said, rescuing not only himself but the receptionist. Smiling at the charming young man before her, the lady gave him a key and said that the bath would be along shortly. Smiling back, Tsuna gave the key to Ryohei and asked him to check out the room while he paid the nice woman. As Ryohei bounded off, Tsuna turned back to the receptionist. "We've come a long way and it will be nice to sleep in a bed, or at least out of the rain. How much do I owe you for the bath and our first night?"

"A hundred and fifty pounds, young sir. Are you traveling alone?"

"Yep, just me and Ryohei. I've been traveling for... six days since my tutor kicked me out of the house. It's been... fun. The world outside my hometown is amazing, and Ryohei shares my opinion, though he expresses it a bit more openly that I do," Tsuna replied. Laughing, the woman agreed that the silver haired youth was quite vocal. "Oh! You wouldn't happen to know where I could get a serviceable cloak for him would you? Silly boxer ran off without one and we've been forced to share mine, which is a bit too small to keep the rain off both of us," Tsuna asked. The woman smiled and gave him directions to a nearby store. Smiling back, Tsuna thanked her and ran off to purchase the item. He had a similar conversation with the tailor, though he gave Ryohei's approximate measurements, and made his way carefully back to the inn with the newly purchased cloak safely under his arm. When he returned, he found the inn staff in an up roar. He sighed, put down the cloak, and grabbed one of the screaming maids as she ran past. "Insane boxer with silver hair?" he asked. She nodded. "I was afraid of that. Carry on," he said, letting go. The woman paused for a moment, then took off running again. "RYOHEI! IF YOU DON"T SHUT UP AND COME HERE I WILL EXTREMELY LEAVE YOU BEHIND AND FIND ANOTHER INN!" he screamed. Ryohei came like a puppy called by his master.

"You wouldn't!" he said, eyes displaying the depth of his pain. Tsuna turned his head away, denying Ryohei that hold.

"I would! If you can't behave like the fourteen year old you are when I'm not around there's no place for you on my quest. I need to be able to trust you to handle things on your own and calmly think things through when I can't. Please, Ryohei, at least try not to lose control when I'm not around," the brunette said pleadingly. Ryohei hung his head.

"But I thought you had gone away or been captured by the forces of Byakuran," he said. Tsuna sighed.

"If I hadn't come back by about ten you could have made that conclusion. However, instead of tearing up the inn, why didn't you start asking around town?" Ryohei looked up with a truly priceless look that clearly said, 'now why didn't I think of that?' Tsuna shook his head, apologized for Ryohei, and herded the boy to their room. "Honestly, Ryohei, were you even thinking?" asked Tsuna as he lowered himself into the bath that had been waiting for him. The water was tepid at best but Tsuna wasn't about to complain; not about bath water anyway.

"I wasn't," Ryohei admitted. Tsuna sighed as he washed the mud from his hair. Ryohei looked over at the quiet sound and wondered at the change clean wet hair made to Tsuna's appearance. Thoroughly drenched and washed clean of mud and excess oils, the soft brown hair hung limply about Tsuna's gentle face. It was actually rather long and made the slight boy look like a woman. Ryohei quickly looked away as the thought crossed his mind. Tsuna chuckled and grabbed the wash cloth.

"You just thought that my hair made me look like a girl, didn't you?" he asked jokingly. Ryohei nodded and Tsuna laughed out right. It was a childish sound, pure and happy. "Well, you wouldn't be the first and I doubt you'll be the last. I can only hope that over the years my face will begin to look a bit more masculine. If I cut my hair it just looks like a bush, so I've taken to simply having it trimmed every now and then," he said as he splashed water over his head to rinse the soap from his body. Ryohei tried to picture Tsuna with shorter hair, but the sight was so wrong that he shook it from his mind. "There's two beds in here so take your pick. Oh! And I bought you a cloak, just as I said I would," Tsuna said, pulling on a clean pair of pants. Ryohei pointed to the bed nearest the door, which also happened to be under the window, and Tsuna saw the boxer's yellow bag sitting innocently on it. "Ah, you already have. Good," he said, flushing slightly as he dunked his dirty clothes in the bath water. Ryohei silently climbed into his bed and slept, causing Tsuna to wonder if his words had cut too deep.

In the morning, Tsuna was woken up by the boxer's exuberant greeting. "Sometimes I wish I knew magic," Tsuna muttered darkly as he stumbled after his boisterous friend down the stairs. He tripped about halfway down and crashed into Ryohei at the bottom. Another groan and the youth was on his feet and stumbling over to the counter. "Two breakfast plates please. And could I have a coffee with one and orange juice for the other?" he asked. The young lady behind the counter blushed slightly at the undeniably adorable sight and nodded. Tsuna smiled blearily at her and gave his thanks. Ryohei followed after in a subdued manner. Tsuna was curious, but allowed his friend his silence, welcomed it actually. They finished their food then turned in their plates and Tsuna paid for their meals before bowing to the innkeeper and herding Ryohei out the door.

"Would you really leave me behind?" the boxer asked once they were outside. Tsuna sighed as he paused in the middle of the sidewalk.

"I might, but I'd regret it and come find you later," he said as he nodded and resumed his trek. Ryohei smiled and returned to his usual loud self. Tsuna smiled faintly, sparing a moment to watch Ryohei's face before turning all his attention to not falling flat on his face or running into someone. They found nothing until lunch when they stopped at a sushi shop called 'Takesushi'. Shrugging, Tsuna followed his loud friend into the shop. Ryohei was sitting at the counter chanting 'EXTREME sushi!' and attracting odd looks when Tsuna sat beside him with a weary sigh. "Ryohei-oniisan, please, use your inside voice," the brunette asked. Ryohei stopped chanting but started banging on the counter top. The owner came to take their order just as Tsuna laid a glowing hand on Ryohei's arm.

"You have a Flame," the man said coldly. Tsuna looked at him innocently.

"Do I? I was taken for training at a young age, but they quickly told me I was worthless as a Flame Wielder," he said, meaning every word. He had been told that at age five, barely even two years after his training began, and yet it took the Strongest Seven eight more years to finally kick him out. The man snorted, but pulled out a notepad.

"What will it be?" he asked. Tsuna smiled and asked for a tuna roll while Ryohei looked on blankly. Tsuna noted his friend's confusion.

"Did they not have sushi in your hometown?" he asked.

"We only had sushi, not tuna rolls," Ryohei answered. Tsuna blinked then turned back to the slightly confused chef.

"Do you have a sampler plate?" The black haired man with the eyes like honey shook his head, but answered with a yes. Another smile from Tsuna and ten minutes later a plate of tuna sushi as well as a sampler were placed before the pair. "Domō arigato!" Tsuna called out. The man paused upon hearing his native language from the young man, but nodded silently and moved on. Ryohei dug in with gusto while Tsuna took time to savor the delicate flavor and texture of the dish. When they were done, Tsuna paid, then realized they were dreadfully low on cash.

"You could work for me for a few days," the store owner said when he heard Tsuna bemoaning his lack of funds. Tsuna smiled brightly at the man.

"That would be wonderful!" he said, but then his face fell. "However, I'm clumsy as all get out and Ryohei is just as loud, not to mention a boxing fanatic. I'm afraid I'll end up tripping and breaking something or cutting myself or dumping food on customers and Ryohei will scare people and break stuff when he suddenly goes berserk. Thinking about it that way, I think we'd be better off working as lumberjacks," he said. Tsuyoshi, the sushi shop's owner, smiled.

"It'll be part time, and at a good rate. I just need someone to help out while my son is at school." Tsuna sighed.

"You really want us?" he asked. Tsuyoshi nodded and Tsuna sighed again. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you," he said, resigned to a week of horror. The rest of the day, Tsuna and Ryohei worked in the shop and surprisingly, nothing was broken. Tsuna tripped twice and Ryohei yelled through the whole day, but Tsuyoshi had Ryohei outside calling attention to the shop and Tsuna was able to wash what he dropped. Tsuyoshi's son returned at four and was surprised to find two new employees.

"Dad? What are they doing here?" asked Takeshi, surprise on his cheerful face.

"Ah, Takeshi, these fine young men are traveling the kingdom and are low on cash at the moment, so I offered them a part time job," Tsuyoshi answered. Takeshi looked over at the pair and tilted his head.

"Shouldn't you two be in school?" he asked. Tsuna felt something constrict in his gut and he laid a hand on Takeshi's shoulder.

"Take me somewhere private and I'll tell you all about it," he said, eyes flashing to Tsuyoshi then toward the stairs and back. The chef got the message and nodded, though he made no move to leave the counter. Tsuna smiled at him and followed Takeshi to his room.

"Well?" he asked, looking curiously at the strange brunette. Tsuna promptly fell to the floor, landing cross-legged.

"I am Tsunayoshi Sawada, the Tenth Successor of the Vongolian crown as chosen by the Strongest Seven. Reborn, the strongest assassin, kicked me out of the palace and told me it was time for a mission. I found Ryohei and discovered that he was to be my Sun Pillar. I assume I was meant to find a Rain Pillar in this town, but I have yet to do so. Takeshi-san, I inherited the Primo's hyper intuition and can see that you are weary. Why?" he said. Takeshi was taken aback, but smiled a tired smile.

"I can barely believe your story, yet I can't help but tell you my pain. I have always been popular, sports and good looks do that, but lately it all feels so..." his voice trailed off as Tsuna spoke.

"Fake." Takeshi nodded and Tsuna smiled. "I know the feeling. I've always been either a total failure or an unapproachable figure of authority. Everyone at court is fake, including me. I am hiding my identity until I overthrow Byakuran, Takeshi, but I decided to reveal myself to you. So tell me, are you fake at home as well as school?" Takeshi sighed and looked aside. Tsuna sighed as well and stood. "Thank you for your time, Takeshi, but I should get back to work. Money doesn't make its self," he said, passing the young man and giving his shoulder an encouraging squeeze. Takeshi followed Tsuna out and watched him trip his way through his work. He smiled and took a tray himself, winking at Tsuna as he did so. The boy smiled back and continued on his way. When the day's work was done, Tsuna fell into one of the empty chairs with a huff and Ryohei gulped down his tea.

"You're a funny guy, Tsuna," Takeshi said with a smile. Tsuna's eyes snapped onto Takeshi's and bored into them, causing the raven haired youth to jerk back a little. Tsuna nodded, his eyes closing tiredly.

"Your eyes are true," he said. Tsuyoshi drew in a sharp breath, causing the lounging brunette to open one eye to give him a questioning look.

"You are the Prince," Tsuyoshi said. Takeshi rocked forward and stared at his father. Tsuna sighed and nodded.

"And I'm broke. I'll need to keep working for a while before I can afford to stay in another inn or buy more food. Don't come cheap, those luxuries," he said, weariness casting him into a calm, collected state of being. Ryohei felt shivers of anticipation dance up his arms. This was what Tsuna was really like, this was what caused the young women they came across to swoon, this was what had caused him to want to leave his father's home, this was the being of power who lurked beneath the loser. Takeshi was left breathless as Tsuna's aura began to swirl about him.

"My but that's a strong Flame you have. I wonder what its like when you fight," Tsuyoshi said, rocking back slightly. Tsuna twitched and the aura vanished.

"Awful. Pain, excruciating pain. I get pounded into the ground no matter what I try. I've been trained by the Strongest Seven since I was five and never once activated my Flame, not in combat anyway. Oh during meditation I can generate an aura so strong not even Reborn's bullets can reach me and I can use my harmony characteristic to harmonize a person's emotions with my own, but outside of that, nothing," the Prince said. Tsuyoshi shook his head, a faint smile on his face.

"Few can even do that, Tsunayoshi-sama. You should not be so quick to degrade yourself. If Reborn found you that useless he would have saved a different heir. No, he chose you and I see you have already collected Zuuca's son," Tsuyoshi said. Tsuna straightened in surprise and Ryohei shouted,

"You know my father!?" Tsuyoshi laughed, though Takeshi was frozen in shock.

"Oh, Zuuca and I go way back. We were both aspiring soldiers in our youth, even made it to the palace. That's where we met Reborn, and Iemitsu." Takeshi noticed how Tsuna's eyes grew shuttered as his fists clenched under the table. "We gave the dark eyed assassin a wide berth, everyone who had half a brain did, but then Zuuca met a young herbalist. They were head over heels for each other and got married a year and a half after they met. Zuuca was getting ready to hand in his resignation soon after his son was born when Reborn cornered him outside the officer's building. 'I know about your son,' he said. Zuuca told me he had shivered like a leaf in a hurricane when those emotionless words were spoken, but he had replied with a question. 'Know what? Everyone knows my wife just gave birth.' Reborn had just kept looking at his with those charcoal eyes. 'He has the Sun Flame in his blood.' I remember when Zuuca told me about the deal he had made with the merciless assassin. He was pale as snow and just as cold as he said, 'I just sold my son's future to a ruthless killer in exchange for a few more years with him,' he had said. I shook my head, but a few months later, I was the one in love. Two years later and I was resigning as well. Reborn came to me with much the same message and I made much the same deal. It would seem that the time has come to give up my son to be the Rain," Tsuyoshi said. Tsuna did something that shocked everyone. He slapped Tsuyoshi.

"I said it to Zuuca-san and I'll say it to you, I can't take your son, not even if Reborn made you promise him to me. I'll tell him Takeshi isn't right for the position. You should be free to live with your son by your side to care for your wife, and Takeshi should be free to live with his family until he chooses other wise. Please, don't believe I have come to take him away from you," he said, eyes hard.

"My mother passed on years ago, Tsuna. It's just me and dad," Takeshi said. Tsuna froze for a moment before the emotion in his chest forced tears out his eyes and down his cheeks. He wept silently for a moment then turned to Tsuyoshi once again.

"That just makes it harder for me to take your son. Takeshi," he turned to look at the vaguely conflicted youth, "I can't ask you to come with me, in fact I won't allow it. You have to stay here, you're all your father has left. I can't and won't take that away from him, Reborn or no Reborn," he said, fire in his voice. The aura that had leaked out before came out in force as he uttered the last words. Takeshi felt something within himself react to Tsuna's aura. A faint blue haze formed around him and he noticed a yellow haze around Ryohei. The older youth was mystified as he felt the force of Tsuna's resolve and found that it was the same feeling he got when he was boxing. He noticed the blue hazes around the Yamamotos, the orange haze around Tsuna, and the faint yellow hanging about himself.

"My, if only you could control that power, you could wipe Byakuran out with one hit," Tsuyoshi said, pulling his aura back. Tsuna shook his head.

"Even Reborn couldn't pull my Flame out of me," he said.

"I didn't even know I had a Flame and you pulled it out of me," Takeshi countered. The statement shocked Tsuna with its unique wisdom and caused him to laugh, the pressure in the room lessening as his aura pulled back as well.

"I suppose that's true. Well, enough declarations from me, what do you think?" the brunette asked.

"I don't know," answered the youth honestly, though his smile was fake. Tsuna's eyes narrowed for a moment, then he smiled.

"How is your school with day long visitors? I wouldn't mind sitting in on a few of your classes," he said. The three others in the room shivered as a slightly different aura swirled around the young brunette. Takeshi said it shouldn't be a problem and resigned himself to a day of silent terror. He was not disappointed. Tsuna watched him like a hawk and he could almost feel those sharp chocolate brown eyes tearing apart his carefully constructed mask. As they were walking back to the restaurant, Tsuna was in silent contemplation. Takeshi felt a trickle of fear run down his back as he could still feel Tsuna's eyes boring into his back.

"How was it?" asked Tsuyoshi when the two returned.

"Takeshi is fake. Life would be a whole lot easier if he would remove that mask, despite what he seems to think," Tsuna said. Takeshi fell into a chair with a sigh.

"It was almost as if I could feel you tearing my mask apart. There were even a few times I thought my back might catch fire from the intensity of your glare," Takeshi said, looping an arm around the back of the chair and closing his eyes. Tsuna chuckled.

"I told you didn't I? That I got Primo's hyper intuition? Your mask is as rice paper," he said. Tsuyoshi sighed.

"Now that we have established this, have any decisions been made?" he asked. Tsuna sighed and stood.

"I leave at the end of the week, regardless of how much money I earn. Takeshi stays. I've made up my mind. Takeshi needs a friend, but the path I walk may not bring the kinds of friends he needs. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I cannot accept Reborn's choice," the prince said before grabbing an apron and serving a rather unhappy looking couple. Takeshi was about to get to work as well when something happened to make his world tilt on its axis. The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed around the room. Takeshi was by Tsuna's side in a moment. "What was that for?" asked Tsuna faintly, holding his cheek even as Takeshi held him off the floor.

"Your service is far too slow, whelp. And what's with that unsteady gait? Do you want to spill food all over us?" the disagreeable woman said shrilly. Takeshi felt the same burning sensation in his gut as when Tsuna had released his aura. His arms trembled as he fought to keep smiling at the woman.

"Please, Mistress Oswell, Tsuna is a part-timer and will be leaving at the end of the week," he said. The woman sniffed.

"Good riddance! It was smart of your father to fire the incompetent fool," she said with a sneer. Takeshi fought himself to keep from snapping. Tsuna laid a hand on his arm and shook his head, climbing to his feet.

"Don't worry about it, Takeshi. I've heard it all my life. Once more won't hurt," the kind brunette said as he moved to leave. He stopped as a thought hit him and bowed to the Oswells. "I'm sorry for the late service. If you come again before I leave I'll treat you, as a sign of good will," he said as he straightened.

"Good-for-nothing brat, I won't come until you're long gone and the stench of your existence is too," the man snarled. The burning in Takeshi's stomach flared out and he punched the man solidly on the jaw, knocking him from his chair.

"You don't even know him! How can you judge him so completely when you've only just met him?" he asked, blue flames swirling around him. Tsuna watched in silence as the youth's mask crumbled. "Every time you come in here, you find fault. I hate people like you. Always think you're better than everyone you meet but don't even know who it is you're ignoring. What if this boy were the Prince? What would you do then?"

"I'd know and show him the proper honor," the woman answered. Takeshi sneered, his Flame writhing and doing nothing to calm him, despite it's characteristics.

"You know nothing and those who know nothing understand nothing. Tsuna is more than he appears. He saw through the mask I've worn for years in an instant. But you? You think me a happy-go-lucky youth who serves you sushi and doesn't let the world get to him. You're wrong. I hear everything people say about me and it hurts. I feel anger and resentment, more than anyone knows. Eat your sushi and leave. I never want to see your faces in here again," the baseball player said, venom in his voice.

"Did you speak up for me, or did you finally snap?" Tsuna asked, choosing that moment to make his presence known. Takeshi stopped, then smirked.

"Could it be both?" he asked. Tsuna smiled and put a glowing hand on the youth's shoulder. Takeshi gasped as he felt Tsuna's feelings flow into him via the Sky's harmony characteristic. He felt his own emotions harmonize with themselves, not just Tsuna's, and truly smiled. "You're the first in a long time to get me to truly smile," he said. Tsuna smiled back.

"And you're one of the first to harmonize with themselves when I put a Flame glove on their shoulder," he replied. The occupants of the dinning room were speechless. The new kid had the Flame of the King!

"Prince... Tsunayoshi?" Mrs. Oswell asked, her voice trembling. Tsuna sighed and turned with exaggerated slowness.

"Looks like my cover's been blown. Sorry, Tsuyoshi-san, looks like I'll be leaving in the morning. I can't risk waiting any longer, not with my cover blown. Word's sure to reach Byakuran before the sun is down that Tsunayoshi is in Pioggia Valle," he said.

"I'm going with you," Takeshi said, the blue flames dieing out and the aura pulling back within him. Tsuna shook his head.

"I already said it, you have to stay here. You're all your father has left. I can't and won't take that away from him, Reborn or no Reborn. Don't make me say it again, Yamamoto-san, because next time won't be pretty," he said, a faint aura appearing around him. His eyes were narrower, his voice lower, and his posture relaxed, though any who had seen a soldier could tell he was ready to attack.

"Dame-Tsuna, stop pushing him away," came a strident, yet high pitched, voice. Tsuna's eyes grew wide and he turned jerkily toward the door.

"Re... born?" he asked, seeing not the tall, dark eyed assassin he was used to, but instead a toddler wearing a suit and fedora. Tsuna wasn't fooled. He saw the green chameleon on the brim of the hat and the merciless onyx eyes glinting maliciously at him.

"I'm surprised you recognized me, Dame-Tsuna. Perhaps kicking you out did help you develop your Flame," the child said, his unearthly voice sending shivers down the patrons' backs. Tsuna sighed and faced the fearsome toddler head on.

"I can't take Takeshi with me. He is all Tsuyoshi has and I don't want to deprive him of that. I want Takeshi to have the love of a father, because I never did. Please, Reborn, he has a life here. Don't you see? It would be mean of me to take him from all he's known," he said, pleading with the assassin.

"You didn't argue this hard with me," Ryohei noted. Tsuna sighed and turned to him.

"That's because you would have destroyed half the town, then a fifth of the forest, looking for me if I tried to leave you behind. Not to mention the fact that you would have screamed loud enough for our friends here," he motioned around the room, "to hear you. Heck, even Byakuran might have heard you. You're just as stubborn as I am, perhaps more so, so I knew there was no way you'd stay behind. Besides, it's nice having a real friend for once," Tsuna explained. Reborn nodded sagely.

"I figured as much. Tsunayoshi, Takeshi is more stubborn than he appears, and born of two fighters, you will not be able to leave him behind. I made my choice for a reason, Dame-Tsuna," the assassin said. Tsuna growled and glared at his once tutor.

"Why use my full name then switch to your nickname for me in the same breath? And what... oh," he said, trailing off as a thought occurred to him. He turned slowly to see Takeshi looking at him intently. "Rain, the tranquil element. I understand. All the same, I'd rather not," he added even as he leveled Takeshi a look of acceptance.

"You said it before, it's nice to have a real friend for once. Can't you give me the same thing, Tsuna?" the baseball player asked. Tsuna sighed, visibly fighting with himself.

"I... would love to..." Takeshi brightened, "but I can't. I'd be putting you in so much danger... I'm going to end up fighting Byakuran sometime, and my Pillars would have to fight as well. I just can't do that to you. Baseball is..." Tsuna tailed off, his eyes going glassy. Reborn tilted him head in confusion, a rare emotion for the assassin. Then a Flame burst out on his charge's forehead and all was made clear, at least to Reborn, who began to smirk. "I'm sorry for my other half's rudeness, Takeshi Yamamoto. He's kind, and his head's in the right place, but his heart and his head don't always agree. Mine do," the boy said, his hair turning a dark blond and his eyes glowing amber. Ryohei chuckled and Takeshi fell to his knees. The others in the restaurant were stuck in silence but couldn't understand why the two boy's were in such awe. It was impressive sure, but not enough for all that.

"The being of power who hides behind the loser," Ryohei said.

"The real Prince? No wonder you could see right through me," Takeshi said. The now blond youth smiled.

"I'll stay through the end of the week. I need the money, but if I see any of Byakuran's forces, I'm gone. Tsuyoshi, you mind if I take over for my hopeless counterpart the rest of the time we're here?" he said. Tsuyoshi nodded with a smile and the blond set to work quickly and efficiently. Takeshi and Ryohei smiled whenever they saw how he astonished the patrons. The next day, the blond Tsuna followed Takeshi to school without him knowing it. Takeshi was excited, but he had a feeling that as soon as the week ran out, Tsuna would revert and vanish in the night, leaving him alone again. The blond could see Takeshi's fear, and could see the stress building. Shortly before the final bell rang, Takeshi climbed to the roof and prepared to jump. The blond saw him climb the fence and shifted back to the normal Tsuna. He stifled his cries and watched. Soon a large crowd had gathered. None could get Takeshi to come back from the ledge. "STOP!" yelled Tsuna as Takeshi leaned forward. The raven haired youth turned and saw Tsuna break away from the crowd.

"Why? No-one would miss me anyway. Everyone here is fake, even me," he said, though his eyes held a glimmer of hope.

"What have I been saying all week? Your father! You're all he has left! He loves you like my father never did! I was raised as a failure, a failure who was trying to pass himself off as something more. Look at what you have, Takeshi, and then tell me if it's nothing!" Tsuna snapped. Takeshi sighed, thinking of what Tsuna must have had, or didn't as the case may be.

"It doesn't matter. I've been lying to him too. How could he love a liar like me?" he said, turning back to the open space. Tsuna drew in an agitated breath.

"Everyone at court is fake, even me!" he shouted as he climbed over the fence. Takeshi straightened. "Do you know what I did? I got myself kicked over the palace wall! And look what that did for me. I can be real now. Perhaps, as much as it pains me to say it, you _need_ to come with me," Tsuna said as he moved closer to Takeshi. The taller youth smiled and took Tsuna's hand, then tripped. The gathered students gasped as the two fell. Then Tsuna closed his eyes and dropped into meditation. His aura exploded outward and surrounded them both as they fell. Takeshi felt his own Flame react to Tsuna's and a faint blue layer was added to the orange shell. When they hit the ground, Takeshi's layer failed first, then Tsuna's sort of peeled away, softening their landing.

"Thank you, Tsuna. I was being stupid," Takeshi said, looking a bit sheepish. Tsuna sighed, then blinked.

"How did I get to your school? Last thing I remember, before seeing you ready to jump, was saying how I couldn't take you with me. What happened?" asked Tsuna, looking about in confusion.

"You went blond, like you were someone else," Takeshi answered. Tsuna looked at him in terror.

"NO! What did he say? What did he _do?!_" he asked, eyes wide.

"Nothing much. He just said he'd stay to the end of the week, work in your place, and if he sees any of Byakuran's forces he'd be gone. Oh, he apologized for your rudeness as well. He's quite efficient. I'm kinda confused as to why you can't be that coordinated as well," Takeshi answered, honestly perplexed. Tsuna sighed and shook his head.

"That side of me developed about three years ago. I was in a combat simulation with Reborn when he said something and I blanked. When I came to, everyone was bowing and Reborn was holding his jaw, a burn evident. Since then, I've blacked out occasionally and when I come to, I'm either regarded with fear, awe, reverence, or two or more at once, and almost every time someone is hurt. Please, don't rely on him, because I hate that part of me," he said, distressed. Takeshi shook his head and when he looked back at his Prince, the blond version was smiling at him. "Don't worry, he'll thank me later. Now, lets get back to your father's shop. I have work to do," he said, leading Takeshi to the restaurant. The youth shook his head but followed the blond.

"So... when do you take over? Is there some sort of trigger?" he asked. The blond shook his head.

"I just take over when Tsuna is under stress or in great danger. I have to force myself down while Tsuna trains with Reborn so he can learn to handle himself," the other version of the Prince answered.

"What would happen if he accepted you?" Takeshi asked. The blond smiled.

"Then I would cease to be a separate personality within him and would simply be a form he would take on when he entered hyper dieing will mode. He has yet to enter dieing will mode so it will be a while yet before he can accept me. Perhaps you could put in a good word? The only reason people end up hurt when I come out is because I only come out when he's in danger, or I deem it necessary. I came out yesterday because he was about to tell a lie. Baseball is no longer your life. You have grown tired of it and need a change of pace. I accepted you as soon as you offered, and deep inside, Tsuna did as well. He just doesn't want to uproot anyone. As he matures and accepts me he'll being to see when he should just nod and say thank you," the blond rattled off. He laughed and looked to the sky. "Listen to me, rambling on! Oh, what would Tsuna think if he saw me now?" Takeshi smiled.

"He'd think, 'oh, maybe my other half isn't as bad as I thought,'" he said, walking calmly behind the laughing blond.

"I like you, Takeshi. No wonder Tsuna was so for leaving you."

"Huh?"

"He can feel how I respond to things and, since he thinks I'm evil, reacts the opposite way out of fear. He really thinks you're an awesome guy, as do I, but because I agree he's pushing you away. All you need to do is be yourself and prove me right. Don't force anything, or Tsuna will pick up on it and call you fake. Now, I have to ask, are you sure about this? You could just stay here, even if Tsuna himself has offered to take you with him," the blond expounded. Takeshi shook his head.

"I need to get out of here, I need a chance to be real, and he can give me that. It's kinda funny that all it took was a near death experience to get him to realize it," he said, putting his hands behind his head and smiling up at the sky. His blond companion chuckled and agreed. It was kinda funny.

A/N: Please review! This is my first serious fic in this category, and my other serious fic didn't quite get the response I was hoping for. And while you're at it, check out my rather silly fic 'KHR youtube MADNESS!' Enjoy.

Regenengel3


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Not mine.

**Chapter 3: **The Lost Child and the Returning Friend

Tsuna glared at the smiling youth as the group trudged trough the forest. "He said what?" he asked, darkness swirling around him and danger rolling off him. Takeshi felt sweat begin to bead on his forehead.

"That you react in the opposite way he does, even if you agree, because you think he is evil. And once he got to talking he laughed and asked what you'd think if you saw him then. I replied you would being to think he wasn't so bad after all," the baseball player responded. Tsuna sighed, but relented and began trudging on, ignoring the slight pressure of Reborn on his shoulders. He didn't ask why the assassin was now a child, he simply accepted that there were things about the world he didn't understand and left it at that. The group traveled in silence until night fall when Tsuna began to quietly bemoan the lack of dry ground. "It's always a bit moist around here. We have a lot of rain in this part of the country," Takeshi said, hoping to sooth his Prince's frayed nerves. Tsuna sighed, a rueful smile on his face.

"And you can see a vast sky from the palace, lots of sun in Ryohei's home, and our next stop sees a lot of lightning strikes. We should be able to find a suitable Lightning Pillar there easily enough," he said. Reborn smiled. So, the boy was learning. He nodded to himself, pleased with his student's progress. He had been a bit taken aback when Tsuna's other self came out, even though he wasn't in danger, but was soon pleased with how level headed the blond was. As the week had drawn to a close, the blond had proven quite diplomatic and resourceful. Reborn only hoped Tsuna would accept that part of his nature and finally grow up. The next day, the group found themselves in a torrential downpour, and Tsuna grumbling faintly under his breath at the conditions. Takeshi was cheery, as usual, with Ryohei simply being pumped to be moving. Reborn was riding on his student's head, whipping him on, and smiling to himself when the brunette didn't complain as much as he had when training at the Palace, despite the fact that he was muttering things like 'stupid rain', and 'will these blasted clouds ever be empty?' When it came time for lunch, they all huddled under a sad, drooping tree in an attempt to shield themselves from the rain. Ryohei heated up some field rations with his Sun Flame and Tsuna instructed Takeshi on how to use his Rain Flames to shield the area around the fire, hoping to keep the water off their food while it cooked. Struggling to keep that small area relatively dry, Takeshi realized how hard it must have been trying to learn how to fight with such flames. Ryohei also realized some of his friend's plight as he fought to keep his Flame a steady temperature. Reborn watched them all struggle, and Tsuna coach his new friends, with a smirk on his face. Oh yes, kicking the boy out of the palace had done wonders already. After lunch, Reborn made Tsuna cover all traces of their passage. Tsuna fell face first into the mud several times, but he cleared the area well enough despite those hardships. A week out of Pioggia Vale they arrived at a small northern village called Versteck by the natives. Tsuna had never heard of it, and Reborn was having trouble remembering if there was a village there at all, but even the assassin agreed it would be good to stop and restock, not to mention have a bath. The group trudged into town and the people looked after them in fear.

"What happened here?" asked Takeshi, eyes wide and heart crying out to the people.

"As if you didn't know, soldier," spat one of the old women who sat before the doors of their homes. The motley crew turned to regard the woman, though Tsuna's eyes were a bit sharper than the others.

"What do you mean, Oma?" he asked, using the language he had heard the moment he entered. The woman responded instantaneously, straightening her back and looking at the youth in surprise.

"You do not know, sohn?" she asked. Tsuna shook his head.

"Nein, Oma, ich weiß nicht. It would help if you could tell me," he said, kneeling before the gray haired woman. She followed his movement with wide eyes.

"You know Deutsch?" she asked, perplexed. Tsuna smiled.

"_Yes, Grandmother, I do. Can you tell this ignorant youth what happened to your people?_" he answered. Only Reborn understood what the brunette said, but he was enough. It was all the assassin could do not to grin at his charge's diplomatic skills. It seemed that even the idiot had a silver tongue.

"_Byakuran attacked our village, a hundred miles to the southwest. We didn't even stand a ghost of a chance. Our homes were destroyed. In the five weeks since our arrival here this is all we could fashion as protection. You will find little too spare here, child. You came too late... or perhaps too early,_" the woman told the strange brunette with the eyes of a king that knelt before her, speaking her language and pleading in a soft voice for her tale. The boy smiled and stood, then gave her a bow.

"_Thank you, Grandmother, you have enlightened me,_" he said before turning to his friends with a steely look. "I'll tell you in a moment," he said in response to their questioning looks. No-one voiced a retort as the brunette lead them outside the village. Once clear of the last house, Tsuna roared to the skies and punched a tree. Hard. Hard enough to crack his skin, the bark, and shake loose enough snow to paint him white. The others were held in place by shock, even Reborn. The snow covered king-to-be glared in the direction of the palace. "You will pay, Byakuran. Even if I have to pound your sorry face through the mud and into the rock beneath myself, you shall pay and pay mightily. Did you think you were safe? Did you think I would not be any threat? Well I've got news for you, Marshmallow, even if I were not a threat to you, there are others in this kingdom who are. Sleep lightly, Fool, or you might just find a knife in your chest," he said, eyes glowing orange and voice a dangerous hiss. Those within a hundred foot radius of Tsuna at that moment felt a wave of power rush over them, affecting each differently. Those who were against Byakuran, or were fearful and discouraged, found the power comforting and empowering while the others felt their blood run cold. There was a new Flame-wielder in the kingdom, and he was not happy. Takeshi and Ryohei knelt in the snow before their chosen king.

"We will help you defeat Byakuran, Prince Tsunayoshi," they said in reverence. Tsuna snorted.

"Marshmallow has Pillars of his own. We are four short. I won't feel confident enough to face them without those four by my side as well," he said, turning back to the village. They re-entered and noticed that the woman who had spoken with Tsuna bowed as he passed, awe in her face. Those who saw her action knew that the slight brunette was the source of the power they had felt and bowed as well. Tsuna sighed, noting that half the town was bowing to him. He turned to face them and asked, "Why are you bowing?" One young lad stepped forward and said, in a trembling voice,

"You are a Flame-wielder of the Flame of the King. We bow to the Vongolian King." Tsuna sighed and bowed his head slightly. Ryohei and Takeshi flanked him and then the sun broke free of the clouds and cast its pale rays upon the snow covered shoulders of the young boy, shrouding them in white light.

"I may have the Flame of the King, but I am no king. I may have two close friends who bear Flames as well, but even so, I am no king. Do not bow to me, I am just a boy who has been driven from his home," Tsuna said, lifting the kneeling boy to his feet.

"As am I, but you are different, Sire. You have the power to take back your home. If I could I would pledge myself to your cause and help you take it back, but I am too young. Don't give up, and don't say you are only a boy. You are so much more, you just have to let yourself see it," the boy answered, then skipped off. The others gathered bowed one last time, then went about their business. Tsuna shook his head and left as well. He was stopped at the edge of the town and invited to stay. Tsuna shook his head.

"I can't, not when your harvest has yet to come and every spare blanket will be needed with the onset of winter. We'll stop at the next town to restock and rest. If I ever defeat _Baka_yran, I will personally see to it that you and your people are looked after and this town becomes prosperous," the young Prince said. The towns folk bowed, blessing the boy and his journey.

"You should have stayed. We are nearly out of food!" Reborn chided. Tsuna grabbed him off his shoulder and tossed him into a snowbank.

"I know that, you sadistic baby, but they had more people and little more food in the whole village than we do in our packs. What kind of _person, _let alone king, would I be if I took from the starving to feed myself?" he said, walking on and expecting a boot to the back for tossing the assassin into the snow. He didn't feel his tutor's swift retribution, but he knew it was coming, it was just a matter of time. Reborn, after he pulled himself from the snow, watched his charge walking away. He took in the way the boy bore himself, the speed at which he walked, and noted the strength with which he had not only hit the tree but also thrown him, and decided that Tsuna was indeed shaping up to be a king. All he needed was the confidence, Pillars, and a little more physical strength. They had time, it had only been about a month or so. Yes, they had time.

/*/

Two more weeks and everyone's nerves were on edge as rations were made increasingly smaller. Half a week after they began eating fourth sized rations they found Rasant, the City of Lightning. They found a modest little inn and ordered three of the cheapest meals. Tsuna told Reborn he would split his with the assassin. They were all so hungry the cheap, greasy, almost tasteless food seemed like a feast fit for kings. Reborn let Tsuna have most of the food, knowing that the boy was growing and would need more food then he realized. The rooms were modest, like the inn, and had two beds each. Takeshi was roomed with Tsuna and Ryohei with Reborn. Takeshi listened with wide eyes to tales of the capital, where the sky seemed so big you could reach out and take a piece and sun and rain and cloud and mist and lightning, coinciding with the storm, were in equal measures, but came in seasons. Takeshi told Tsuna tales of his hometown, where there was no dry season, just a few days here and there. They imported all their produce and fished in the lake where their town is built. The two boys clung to the others words, comparing the differences and wondering if they'll ever see their homes again. It had then been nearly two months since Tsuna had last seen his home and already he was wondering if he really did wish to return. He had friends on the road, wonderful friends, but there were none who cared for him at the palace. The next day they went around town, shopping for supplies. Takeshi and Tsuna filled their bags with dried fruits, vegetables, and meat while Ryohei and Reborn got fresh foods that would keep well enough as well as seasoning for stews. Tsuna saw a bow and a quiver in a window as they passed and smiled. Bows had become old-fashioned a few years ago when guns were invented, but Tsuna liked them anyway, and better than a gun. He stopped and inquired about the piece and was told he could have it and a quiver of fine arrows for two hundred gold pieces. He shook his head and exited the shop, only to enter a hobby store. The others were confused, but followed just in time to hear the brunette ask about woodworking. He was directed to the back corner of the shop and to a very small selection of carving and sanding tools. They heard him sigh, but take a mid-sized chisel, a small mallet, and a packet of sanding paper.

"What's that for, Tsuna?" asked Takeshi, his question echoed by the others, when they left the shop. The brunette smiled a secretive smile and continued on to a lumber yard. There the boy got a six foot pole of green wood and twenty doles the length of his arm. From there he went to a butcher's shop and asked for some long feathers. The butcher smiled, looking at the wooden poles the boy bore.

"I have just the thing for you, sonny. Wait just a moment," the large man said, disappearing into the back. He returned a few moments later with a large bag full of feathers. "First time making arrows?" he asked. Tsuna shook his head.

"I'd say more like hundredth," he replied. Ryohei and Takeshi were stunned. Tsuna had made arrows before? Had he made a bow too? It would explain the green pole.

"So you're making your own bow?" asked Takeshi, the slightly more levelheaded Pillar-to-be. Tsuna nodded brightly.

"Yep! And for cheaper than I could buy it too. This way we won't have to buy meat anymore, I'll hunt for it. I'm not that bad a shot you know," he said, smiling at his friend. To say that the boys were shocked at this revelation would be an understatement. Who would have thought that the kind youth could actually hunt? After he had gotten all the supplies he needed, including leather and a steel frame for his quiver as well as arrowheads, Tsuna found an out of the way spot in the park and began to make his arrows. His friends and tutor decided to leave the boy to his work and find supplies of their own to help keep their food from running out, and to protect themselves from the beasts of the wild they would soon encounter on their way to their next location. Reborn left Ryohei looking at brass knuckles and Takeshi looking at books about herbs and went off to find a suitable lightning Pillar. He had not made any deals with a lightning Flame carrier, so he had nothing to go off of for his charge's Pillar except the job description; to draw damage away from the kingdom like a lightning rod. Unfortunately, the little assassin didn't find anyone remotely like that in the city. He returned to the inn to find Tsuna carving at the fireplace. It appeared that he had finished the arrows over the course of the day and was now using the inn's fire as a way to dispose of the wood he shaved off his handmade bow. The assassin smiled at the look of concentration and patience on the boy's face as he took ribbon after ribbon of wood off the pole, shaping it to his will. Up the stairs he went and saw that Takeshi and Ryohei were in Tsuna's room. He entered silently and saw that they were admiring one of the arrows Tsuna had made. The fathers were expertly glued with wood glue, the notch was perfectly centered and went with the grain of the wood, and the head was imbedded into the shaft and then the shaft was bound tightly around with twine.

"He wet the twine before he wound it around. It stretched and he smiled brightly, telling me it would hold the shaft against the head tighter than anyone could pull once it dried and that would keep it from splitting farther up the shaft," Takeshi said, angling the projectile toward the assassin.

"He learned his lessons well when it concerned making things. I wonder why he enjoys making something that will harm another," the tutor said, making the boys jump slightly.

"I think it's because he is just happy to be of some help. He's going to help provide for us with that bow, so that's why he's so happy about it. Plus, it gives him something other than thinking to do. Can you imagine what this must be like for him? I hear him whimper, sometimes, during the night. One word, that's all. 'No,' that's all he says as he tosses and turns," Takeshi said. Ryohei nodded.

"I noticed something like that when I was traveling with him before. He must be remembering the night he had to leave the palace, and imagining what has been happening to the other heirs," the silver haired boxer said. Reborn sighed.

"Yes, he most likely is. Dame-Tsuna always did have a sensitive conscience when it came to running away and causing others to suffer. Perhaps it will help him overcome his natural cowardice and become a great King," the assassin said. The next day, Tsuna was again at the fireplace, shaping his bow, when a wailing child came in. The brunette looked up at the boy, just in time to see the five year old smacked away from the counter, a look of disdain on the keeper's face. Tsuna felt his chest constrict at the sight of the sobbing child. He laid down his tools and his staff and picked the boy up. The afro headed child was fearfully small and light, making Tsuna fairly sure he hadn't had three square meals a day for quite some time. The brunette shot a look to the innkeeper.

"The child comes in nearly every day, demanding grape candy. The first few times we gave it to him, but when he asked for more than he could pay for, we denied him. That's when he got destructive. Blew up half the common room with stolen grenades he did! I don't want that gutter trash tearing up my establishment! Take him away!" the woman said, gaining fire as she spoke. Tsuna sighed and looked to Reborn.

"I'll look after your project, Dame-Tsuna," the assassin said, not even looking up from his espresso Tsuna smirked and walked out the door.

"So, bambino, is there anywhere you haven't made a bad reputation at in this city?" he asked the shaking child in his arms. The child looked up at the sound of that soft, comforting voice.

"I've only seen the southern half of the city," he said, answering in all honesty, the chocolate brown orbs of kindness above him demanding it silently. Tsuna smiled and the child felt a part of his heart melt.

"Then we go to the north, bambino," he said, altering his course. "My tutor told me once of this quaint little shop on the northern boundary of the City of Lightning. He said it served the best Thunder Chowder in all of Vongola. I'll take you there, for my tutor has the best taste in the kingdom, and if he says something is the best, then he has tried all the rest and they have paled in comparison." The child nestled into the chest of this strange boy who was willing to carry him to one of the best restaurants in town.

/*/

The innkeeper hissed, Reborn smirked, Takeshi laughed, and Ryohei yelled how extreme it was to have a child in their little band when Tsuna returned late that night with the child at hand. "A bath and an extra blanket, ma'am, and I'll give you three gold coins," the brunette said. She drew in a breath, but nodded. The blanket and the bath were delivered together and Tsuna had way too much fun bathing the child, whose name was Lambo. "You have the most incredible things in your hair, Lambo! Where did you find all this?" Tsuna asked, pulling grenades and candy out of the boy's hair. He even found something resembling a purple tube with a trigger welded to it.

"My familia gave them to me! Give them back!" Lambo screamed. Tsuna chuckled.

"Oh, not until I've finished with you, bambino. All good things to those who wait," he said, eyes flashing gold for a moment. Lambo froze. He knew what that meant.

"You have the Flame of the King," he breathed, realizing why he had felt the need to obey the youth. Tsuna snorted.

"I did. Seems I mostly grew out of it. I can't manifest it, not even after training with the strongest seven from the time I was five," he answered. Lambo went silent and allowed his hair to be washed, trimmed, and dried. The bath done, Tsuna gave the boy new clothes, some more suited to traveling in the wild than the cow print one piece he had been wearing. The shirt was dark green, loose fitting cotton and the pants were heavy brown canvas. A pair of sturdy black boots stood by the door, next to Tsuna's own hard worn and now brown boots. The striking green eyes of the boy looked deep into Tsuna's as the youth folded the cow suit and buried it at the bottom of his bag. "OK! Looks like we can leave in the morning! Reborn, what do you say?" the soon-to-be king asked of his silently watching tutor. Reborn nodded and left for his own room. Tsuna smiled softly and carried Lambo to his bed. "I'll be sleeping on the floor. You should enjoy sleeping in a bed, since you might not get the chance anytime soon. Not if you truly wish to travel with us."

"You are kind. Lambo-sama will allow you to be his servant," the boy said. Takeshi snorted.

"Give it a month or two, kid, and you'll change your tune," he said, rolling off his bed and forcefully putting Tsuna in his place. "Tsuna has a way with just about everything that makes you want to serve him. Give it time, and you'll be calling him 'master' before you know it." Tsuna sighed, but knew there would be no arguing with Takeshi. Not when he used that steely tone. They left before first light, Lambo protesting every step. None spared the energy to tell him to quit, instead choosing to allow him every opportunity to leave them and go back to the inn. They had paid for the rest of the day after all. Two hours out of Rasant they stopped for breakfast. Lambo was still with them and Tsuna made sure to feed him properly. Reborn watched with a hidden smile as the child found himself being wound around Tsuna's little finger, forced to eat fresh fruits and vegetables that would never normally find their way into his diet. It wasn't even lunch time when the ground before them exploded. Tsuna pulled out one of his arrows, Ryohei slipped his brass knuckles on, and Takeshi drew his sword, all of them scanning the woods and shielding Lambo from the danger.

"Give up your food and your money!" a strident voice called. Tsuna's left eye twitched, then a look of realization dawned on his face.

"I know your voice!" he yelled. A tree shivered and lost a few leaves. Tsuna locked his eyes onto the spot. "I know your voice!" he called again.

"How?" the bomber asked. Tsuna smiled and said,

"Perhaps this will help," then fired his arrow into the trunk of the tree, right next to the spot he felt quite certain the attacker crouched. A sharp intake of breath and a silver haired, lanky, and rather dirty youth dropped from the tree, holding Tsuna's arrow and staring at it in disbelief.

"There is only one person I know who would fletch his arrows like this. The trimmed corners, the swirl, even the glue and fine thread, it's like a signature. The notch, the head, even the wood, worn smooth by sand paper and glossed with the oil of a human hand," he stopped and looked straight into the smirking eyes of the boy he tried to rob, "Sawada?"

"I thought it was you, Hayato," the brunette said, spreading his arms wide. Tears brimmed in the youth's eyes as he embraced his almost forgotten friend.

"I thought I'd never see you again, Sawada-sama!" the bomber wailed, crying into Tsuna's shoulder.

"Why did you run away, Hayato? Your father was distraught and I was the one who had to deal with a raging Bianchi. You do remember how terrifying she is when angered, right? Ahah~! I still get nightmares about her every now and then, even though it's been nearly eight years since you left. Truth be told, I had a feeling I'd run into you soon. Those nightmares have been coming harder and faster ever since Pioggia Vale, and that was about a month ago," Tsuna said.

"SO THAT'S WHY YOU'VE BEEN MOANING!" Takeshi yelled, causing the two to turn to him. "I thought you were thinking of your home but really it was a memory from eight years ago?"

"Dreams are a powerful thing, Takeshi. I had one when we entered Pioggia Vale that I'd find my Rain Pillar there, and that he'd have gray eyes that could stop a wild boar mid charge. At first I thought it was Hibari from Namimori, but then I saw you and I knew the boy from the dream was standing right in front of me. Hayato's dream was just... scarier... and more of a warning. Hayato, I fear your half sister is closing in on you. If you come with us, I can provide cover, food, and occasional lodging plus the comfort of a friend. What do you say?" Tsuna said.

"I will follow you to the ends of the earth, Sawada-sama!" Hayato said, sparkles nearly jumping out of his eyes.

"Good! Though I should warn you, Byakuran may be after my life. I am the Successor chosen by Reborn after all," Tsuna said.

"I'll blow him away, Tenth!" Hayato said, more sparks flying. Tsuna could tell this was a battle he would never win, but had to try anyway.

"Call me Tsuna," the brunette asked, again knowing it was a battle he wasn't likely to win.

"Yes, Tsuna-sama!" Tsuna sighed, but decided to take what he could get. It was already better than he had hoped. They trucked on, Hayato yelling at the other two for being so familiar with 'Tsuna-sama' and Lambo begging for candy, for another three hours before stopping for lunch. Tsuna pulled out his staff and peeled ribbon after ribbon from it, developing the curved shape of a bow little by little. He tested the give of the bow and smiled, taking more from the limbs and testing again.

"Ah, another day or two and it should be ready for action!" he said happily. The others smiled at him and cleaned up their lunch site, handing the brunette a bowl of vegetable soup. Tsuna drank it as he walked, praising the cook with a bright smile. Lambo was silent as he watched the youth walk and eat cheerfully. At dinner time the boy crawled into Tsuna's lap, keeping him from working on the bow.

"How can you be so happy when you have so little?" the boy asked. Tsuna smiled.

"I have more now than I ever have, Lambo. Look around, what do you see?" he said. The child looked around and saw Hayato yelling at Ryohei while Takeshi tried to calm them down and Reborn sitting apart from the group somehow sipping espresso. Where the miniature assassin got espresso no-one knew, nor were they going to ask. Reborn's business was Reborn's business. "I have friends here, true friends the likes of which I never had in the Palace where I lived most of my life. How could I be sad when I have so much?" Lambo looked up into those calming brown eyes and smiled faintly. Perhaps the youth was right. Perhaps they did have more than enough. Still didn't change the fact that he wanted grape candy though. Two days later, Tsuna's bow was complete and he went hunting for their lunch. He brought down three rabbits and a squirrel. "Told you I wasn't a bad shot," he said as he pulled out a knife no-one had known he had to gut his kills. They watched in stunned silence as he prepared the meat for cooking, snapping out of it just in time to help with the final preparations for their lunch.

/*/

"Tsuna sure has a lot of different sides to him, doesn't he?" Takeshi asked that night as they spread out their bedrolls. Ryohei nodded, subdued by the skills Tsuna was beginning to display. Hayato chuckled from across the fire.

"He is an Heir, of course he has more to him than the naked eye can see," the bomber said cryptically.

"Sleep time, not talk," muttered the object of their discourse, rolling onto his side and flopping an arm around Lambo, who had refused to sleep anywhere else than by the Prince. They sighed and lay still, waiting for sleep to come, but as they did so images and words swam before their eyes and echoed in their ears. _'I have more now than I ever have,' 'I can't take you from your family, Reborn or no Reborn!'_ heard Takeshi and Ryohei, seeing the brunette's face flux between smiling and burning determination.

_'You are not a failure, Lambo. I should know what a failure is, I'm the biggest one of all,' 'I'll give you a home, if you choose to follow me,'_ Lambo heard, watching the tender face of the Prince as he slumbered, the warm, husky smell of the youth beside him making him feel safe.

_'I'll never forget you, Hayato. I wish you wouldn't leave, but I know there's no stopping you. I hope you find what you're looking for,'_ said a much younger Tsuna in Hayato's mind. _The young Prince's eyes were sad, but accepting. 'I'll return some day, but I can't stay with that man!' a younger Hayato said, tears in his own eyes. Tsuna held out a small hand. 'Take this, it'll make the first few days a bit easier, but after that you're on your own. I'm sorry I can't do more for you, my friend.'_ Hayato punched the ground by his head, willing the memory to leave him.

While the boys were gripped with memory, no matter how new or old, Reborn watched them sleep with a smile and remembered their fathers. He saw Zuuca and Tsuyoshi climb the ranks of the army, Zuuca fall in love and have a child, and remembered the day he had discovered Ryohei had the Sun Flame. He had been walking past the house when something ran up his back, like a backwards chill. He walked in and saw that while the mother slumbered, the child glowed with a warm yellow light. Suddenly, the Sun Arcobalno got one of his rare visions and saw the boy grow up in a series of snapshots, then saw him standing beside a brunette with a striking resemblance to the founder of the kingdom. He found the boy's father, Zuuca, and made a deal with the frightened man to keep it a secret if he would agree to having his son be the next Sun Pillar. The same thing had happened with Tsuyoshi and his son. Reborn had been secretly thrilled that not only had two Pillar's been chosen already but that the next King was tied to them and thus revealed to the black haired assassin with the chameleon gun. It only took five years for him to find the child he knew would be the next King of Vongola. He was the son of Iemitsu and Nana Sawada and had the same untamed hair as the boy in the vision. The boy, now growing into a young man, shifted in his sleep and Reborn was brought back to reality, looking down on the boy he had known would be the king since the moment his sun Pillar was only a month old. In the dark of the night beneath the yellow harvest moon, Reborn, the Strongest Assassin, smiled a real smile as he sat watching over four Pillars and their King in a forest glade.

/*/

Three more weeks and they entered another little town where they restocked their vegetables and got Hayato a bath as well as some new clothes. "I didn't want to say anything while we were in the woods, but what have you been doing my friend? You're covered in dirt, your hair has more twigs than Lambo has grenades in his afro, and your clothes are little more than rags! Not to mention you're as thin as a rail!" Tsuna exclaimed as he watched his long lost friend through the portion in their room. Hayato sighed as he sat back in the hot water.

"I couldn't get a job, even when I applied as a freelance mercenary," the taller boy said. Tsuna sighed.

"I told you it would happen, did I not? You are not your father, nor are you your grandfather, or his father before him, and you never will be. You are you and no-one should ever ask you to be anyone else. To think you forgot that, when it was I who told you, I whom you followed like a shadow even at that young age. I'm surprised at you," he said, flopping down on his bed. Hayato's eyes, which had been drifting closed as the bliss of hot water had overtaken his senses, snapped open at his king's words.

"I... I did not forget. I tried to do as you said, at every job, but I wasn't who they wanted."

"So you tried to change? Where is the strong willed, intellectual, and capable boy I knew? You should not be living in the forest as a vagabond. You should be a shop owner, a teacher, or even a soldier in training, yet when I find you after all these years you are at the bottom of the barrel! Honestly, you really are hopeless. And I should know, being the most hopeless of the hopeless. Come on, Hayato, you have far more potential than me. I don't want to see you waste it. I'll guide you around the kingdom as I search for my Pillars, but soon I won't be able to help you and you'll be on your own again. After all, a guy like you shouldn't be tied to a weakling like me. Ah! Listen to me babble! Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, don't worry about what others think and forge your own path. Promise me that and I can sleep easy even when you leave again, Hayato Gokudera, the Raging Storm of the North," Tsuna said, still staring up at the ceiling.

"Why would I leave you again after I just found you? And what do you mean you are the most hopeless of the hopeless? Even I can see the Flame around you. In fact, it seems to be one of the only things holding you up most of the time. You give yourself far too little credit, Sire," Hayato said, exiting the bath. Tsuna snorted and rolled over.

"I'm just a boy who got kicked out of his home by a sadistic assassin." Hayato shook his head again and dressed in the dark red shirt and brown pants Tsuna had bought for him.

"You do realize you'll need to get a job and earn some money while we're here. If you don't, we won't be able to get an inn at our next stop," he said, sitting on his bed. Tsuna sighed and rolled over to look at his friend. A smile stretched across his face at the sight of his friend.

"You clean up nice, though I think you need a trim. Let me get some clippers," he said, rolling off the bed and landing neatly on his feet before running off to find something to cut his friend's hair with. Soon he was back, clippers in hand. "Just a little off the bottom to straighten it up and make it a bit neater," Tsuna said as he approached his friend. Hayato resigned himself to a horrid hair year, but was surprised when he looked in the mirror and saw that he still had most of his hair. Tsuna had done exactly as he had said, taking just a little off the bottom and making his hair neater than it had been in years.

"I didn't think you were so good with clippers," Hayato said, pleasantly surprised. Tsuna chuckled faintly and cleaned up the hair on the floor.

"I did about the same for Lambo. He was wearing a cow print one piece suit with a big bushy afro stuffed full of weaponry and half melted candy. Took me half an hour to wash his hair and another fifteen minutes to tame the curly mess," Tsuna answered, tone turning vaguely bitter toward the end. Hayato shook his head yet again, secretly thrilled with the way his hair fluttered like fairy down as he did so, not that he'd ever say anything so girly, and turned to Tsuna.

"You sound like a girl talking about fashion," he said. Tsuna sighed and fell back onto his bed.

"You would have done the same if you had been the one forcing him to wash that mess, or been the one to see all the disparaging looks directed at him in that suit. Besides," Tsuna turned over onto his back and grinned a vaguely evil looking grin at the mirror, knowing Hayato would see it, "he was annoying as all get out. It was a twisted pleasure to confiscate his weaponry and cut his hair. Oh you should have heard how he wailed as I 'damaged the great Lambo-sama's hair!'" he finished, mimicking Lambo's childish whining. Hayato chuckled and turned out the light before getting in his own bed.

"So what should we do about money?" he asked. Tsuna sighed in the dark.

"Ryohei's family runs a gym in Sol Levante, Takeshi's father owns a sushi shop in Pioggia Vale, and the rest of us I don't know what we might be able to do. And good luck asking Reborn to get a job to support the rest of us, he'd probably just shot you then bury you ten feet under and by the time you are found you'd be an archeological find," the Prince said, glaring at the ceiling. Hayato shivered, knowing Tsuna was right.

"OK, so, we have a waiter, a boxer, a bratty child, a bumbling run away, a Prince, and an assassin who would kill you if you asked for help. Doesn't look too good, does it?"

"Nope."

"How good are you in a restaurant?"

"Abysmal. My other half took over when Ryohei and I worked for Tsuyoshi in Pioggia Vale. Oh they loved him, but that was because it was undeniable that he was the Prince."

"Other half?"

"The part of me who can use his Flame to terrifying effect. I hate that part of me."

"Huh. I didn't think you'd be that kind of person. You're so accepting of everyone else, I would have thought you'd accept yourself as well."

"Well, you're wrong. Anyway, that leaves you, Ryohei, and Takeshi to get jobs."

"But you work with wood and it comes out beautiful! You could work with a carpenter."

"Not a bad idea, if you're planning on staying here a year. Those guys find a good apprentice and they don't let them go."

"OK, then what about your archery? Is there a market for that?"

"If I had the materials I could make arrows and sell those, or bows. I could ask around and see if there are any hobby stores that sell bows. Perhaps one of them has shoddy arrows and would pay me to make some for them."

"See? You are not without skills. I'll see if there are any bookstores that need a hand. You know how I like books."

"Yeah, though some at the castle joked that you liked to use them as target practice."

"Che."

"Be nice, half those people you blew up their gardens."

"That was fun."

"You'd say that," Tsuna said, a rueful half smile on his face and laughter in his voice. Hayato chuckled as well.

"In all seriousness though, we need money and you, me, and Takeshi may be the only ones we can trust to get it. On one hand, staying here means getting a job and money for traveling but on the other, it means spending more money for a room," the silver haired bomber said. Tsuna shook his head in the dark.

"Nah. We'll check out in the morning and camp out while we work for the money. It wouldn't do to get too attached to this place. I mean, you can, but I don't belong here. I can almost feel this place beginning to reject me. No, we'll camp outside town and move our camp when Takeshi finds a job. I'll keep the others in line while Takeshi works. Find a place to stay, if you behave yourself I'm sure you'll find a family willing to house you for a while, maybe even take you in indefinitely," Tsuna said.

"Tsunayoshi-sama, you really are horrible. Why won't you accept me? I want to travel with you, so why won't you let me?" Hayato said. Tsuna sighed and sat up, lighting the candle at his elbow.

"Hayato, I fought against Takeshi and Ryohei coming with me. What makes you think I won't fight to make you stay where it's safe? Say, did you know I worried about you, those first three years? I bet you think it's a little excessive, but I did. Then I realized, you're strong and capable, there was no need to worry. When I was down, I thought of you living with some happy family and living a normal, safe, life. Thinking of you so happy, free from the invisible chains of nobility, gave me the boost I needed to go on. So please, Hayato, let those dreams be true," the prince said. Hayato sighed, but spoke no more. In the morning, Tsuna laid his plan out to his fellow travelers.

"Well, I suppose I'll find work at a restaurant, though it doesn't pay much despite the prices. Are you sure you don't want to come with?" Takeshi said, his eyes worried. Tsuna smiled his infectious, soft, childish, charismatic, and persuasively easy smile at his band of followers.

"What use is a clumsy bowman? All I've ever been good at has been crafting arrows, bows, hitting the mark, and tripping over my own feet. Takeshi, Ryohei, you remember how I was at Takesushi, right? Before... _he _took over? No, I'm much better suited to staying here with Lambo and Ryohei, keeping Reborn from shooting both of them out of irritation," he said. Takeshi and Hayato both nodded, Ryohei shouting how Tsuna was extremely underestimating him, and Reborn smirked under his fedora.

"Then you two," the assassin pointed to Takeshi and Hayato, "had better go find jobs to fund our trip around the kingdom," he said. Tsuna sighed and trudged into his tent. Lambo followed and saw Tsuna staring at the ground with empty eyes.

/*/

**A/N:** To anyone who made it this far, and I've been told this is hard to do with my story(still smarting a little bit, but probably needed to be told) thanks for sticking with it. I've also been told I info dump, rush character development, and make my paragraphs too long. I'd just like to say that, A.) my formatting gets pretty much tossed out the window as soon as the file is uploaded, B.) I read Tolkien's Fellowship of the Ring when I was in second grade and it had far longer paragraphs than anything I've seen since and so see no problem with my paragraphs, C.) I have worried about character development but have been told I'm not really rushing it and will trust the judgment of my friend, and D.) any OOCness or such can be attributed to this being an AU fic. Maybe it's not really 'rushed character development' but rather 'different character development.' The fact that this is an AU already means that the characters are not going to be like the cannon characters. That said, please review and tell me if I've fixed any _major_ issues which may or may not be covered above.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:** Confirmations and Training

Lambo shook his head at the glassy eyed Prince. "You look sad, Tsuna-chan. The great Lambo-sama will make you laugh," the boy said, though he was beginning to think that in reality, their places were reversed. He was still self absorbed, but Tsuna's natural authority was beginning to make itself known in the child. Tsuna smiled faintly at the boy, though tears threatened to spill from those warm orbs of chocolate brown.

"Lambo, I have wronged you. I sought to help you when I took you under my wing, but now I fear I have simply drawn you into more danger than any child should ever know. Can you forgive me, Lambo?" the prince asked, turning to the child. Lambo was silent, vaguely shocked by the brunette's words.

"Lambo is a hit man, Tsuna. Lambo was told by his boss to kill the strongest Flame-Wielder in Rasant, but Lambo failed. His lightning was too strong. Lambo was shocked for the first time in a year by his Flame," the child said. Tsuna looked to him in surprise.

"Say, you wouldn't happen to be part of the Bovino Mafia Familia, would you?" he asked, hoping the boy would give him a questioning look and shake his head. His hopes were dashed when the boy smiled and nodded. Tsuna sighed. "They're one of the most troublesome of the minor Families. No wonder you had a bad reputation. You were raised for it. Well then, I'll accept you as my Lightning Pillar, for you have no-where else to go. Besides, if I turned you loose now you could grow to be a thorn in my side that would require force to remove," Tsuna said, bowing his head slightly. Lambo laughed and ran off. "Come on out, Reborn, I know you're here."

"You've gotten better," Reborn remarked as he stepped into the light. Tsuna smirked wryly and gave a snort.

"No, I just know how you act when I'm around. How could you pass up the opportunity to spy on me in my tent when a prospective Pillar is there? So, what do you think? Did I make the right choice?" the prince said. Reborn smirked as well.

"Yes. Him being a part of the Bovino Familia explains a lot, and that he was sent to the City of Lightning is worth remembering. Perhaps he has a genetic mutation that grants him an affinity for lightning. Yes, I think he will grow to be a fine Pillar for you," the assassin said. Tsuna finally turned to regard the infant-man.

"Reborn, I would make a request," he said. Reborn perked up at this. Never in all the years he had known the boy had Tsuna ever asked something in this manner. "I would ask that you train Lambo, see if he actually has the Flame of Lightning. If he does, train him to control it. I doubt I would be able to bend his will to mine, but you are familiar with stubborn students and how to teach them. Please, Sol Lachia, he needs direction that I cannot give." Reborn looked deep into the prince's eyes and saw an honest plea. He smiled fondly.

"OK. I will train the brat," he said. Tsuna smiled and gave a relieved sigh.

"That means all I have to do is make sure you don't kill the kid. Ryohei should be able to help with that. It seems he's in dieing will mode all the time. A rare thing, and a blessing. He also seems willing to learn how to handle it. Ah, don't mind my ramblings, Reborn, my mind has been overworked these last few days and it helps me order my thoughts to speak them aloud," Tsuna said. Reborn shook his head, that faint fond smile still on his face.

"I'll leave you to your musings, prince," he said, then vanished into the forest. Tsuna sighed and lay down, tired by the day's mental demands.

/*/

The others were standing outside the tent regarding the boy who sat by the fire when Reborn walked out. Lambo was staring into the flames as if he could find an answer to everything there. "I'm going to train you, child," the assassin told the boy. He didn't even move, Reborn wasn't even sure the boy had heard him. "You should be honored," Reborn pushed, hoping for a reaction. He wasn't disappointed.

"I am a failure. My own father wanted me dead," the boy said. Reborn sighed, then shot the boy in the head with a special bullet he had perfected over the years he had spent training 'failures'. The boy fell forward, then sat up so suddenly his clothes were ripped. A change had happened between his falling and his raising similar to what had happened with Tsuna in Piggio Valle. The boy's hair was green and a sparking Flame that appeared more like lightning bolts than flames crackled on his forehead.

"You are not a failure, you are simply young. I will help you see your true power," Reborn said before he stepped forward and began to teach the boy. When he dropped out of dieing will mode, Lambo saw Tsuna watching from his tent flap with a sad smile on his face.

"I'm sorry, bambino, but it is for your own good," the prince said before he got up and wandered into town, but not before he had told Ryohei to make sure the boy was still alive when he returned. Ryohei agreed and the rest of the day for the both of them was spent training with the master assassin.

/*/

Tsuna sighed when he found Hayato. He had found a bookstore, but was yelling at the owner about something. Tsuna entered and laid a hand on his agitated friend's shoulder. "Now now, Hayato, have you taken the time to hear what the nice man has to say?" he asked pleasantly, though his thumb was driving itself into the tender spot on Hayato's shoulder.

"No, Tsuna-sama," the boy said dejectedly, hanging his head. Tsuna's pleasant smile took on an obviously fake look.

"Why not, Hayato Gokudera-san?" he asked. Hayato shivered. Tsuna never used his full name unless he was piping mad.

"I thought I knew better, Sawada-sama," Hayato said, bowing his head even more. Tsuna shook his head and turned to the confused bookstore owner.

"What were you trying to tell my hotheaded friend?" he asked.

"That we are not hiring right now," the store owner answered. Tsuna nodded and steered his friend out of the store.

"You'll never find a job if you argue like that every time you get turned away. Oh Hayato, what am I to do with you?" Tsuna said, exasperated. Hayato was crushed, hearing those words from Tsuna. But then he found himself standing in front of the front desk of a library. "My friend here loves books and would like a job. He's hard working, loyal, and a veritable walking encyclopedia. Oh, many is the day I had to cut him off mid-stream when he was speaking of the history of our fair kingdom. So, do you have anywhere that could use him?" Tsuna said to the pretty young woman behind the desk. Hayato was looking at Tsuna in surprise. Was this really the same young man who had been chiding him? The woman flipped through some pages on her clipboard, then turned it around and showed it to Hayato.

"This position here, think you can do that?" she asked. It was custodian. Hayato read the job description and smiled.

"Yes, I can do that," he said. Tsuna smiled fondly at the silver haired boy, but then had a thought.

"Oh, and Hayato?" The boy turned to give him a curious look. "Keep your voice down while you're here. I don't care what people say about Prince Tsunayoshi, the books, or yourself, no shouting and most certainly no fighting, fist or otherwise. Do you understand?" the prince instructed. Hayato seemed to struggle, but nodded. "I don't have the money to pay for damages, and you need work on holding your temper in check. This job should serve to help on two fronts, so please, make me proud," Tsuna said, clapping his friend on the shoulder. To the woman he said, "Take care of him for me would you?" The woman smiled and nodded, thinking what a nice boy the brunette was. Hayato sighed, but was outfitted for his new job and began his work. He returned to the camp an hour after sundown and collapsed in his tent, forgoing dinner.

/*/

After dropping Hayato off at the library, Tsuna went in search of Takeshi. He found him in, ironically, a sushi restaurant. Tsuna walked in and sat at the bar, waiting for someone to notice his presence. Takeshi was along shortly with a notebook to take his order. "Looks like you've found your niche, Takeshi," the brunette said. Takeshi laughed easily, though he was a little confused.

"Would you like some sushi?" he asked. Tsuna shook his head.

"No, I don't have the money for that. I just wanted to see how you did on your job hunt. It would seem you found one rather quickly."

"As soon as the manager heard I had experience in this area he hired me on the spot," Takeshi said with his usual smile. Tsuna's grew just a little wider when he saw that it wasn't a mask.

"Well, I'd best be getting back to camp. I don't want to think about what horrors Reborn is visiting upon Lambo," Tsuna said as he rose. Takeshi nodded. He didn't know Reborn as well as Tsuna, but reputation was enough for the baseball player to feel Tsuna was right. Besides, the brunette was hardly ever wrong. Tsuna left and Takeshi busied himself with the other customers. He was on his feet until closing and then helped with that. By the time he was free to go, the sun was down and the air was beginning to chill. He hurried back to the camp, but heard a cry in a back alley. He looked down it, and wished he hadn't. A part man part beast creature looked back at him from over the still body of a man. Takeshi turned and fled back to the camp, though he slowed his pace as he left the town, not wishing to cause alarm. He too collapsed in his tent and forwent dinner. Tsuna shook his head when he realized the two workers weren't eating. In the morning, he personally dragged them out of their tents and made them eat all their breakfast. "Tell me why you both went to bed without dinner. Now," Tsuna demanded, a fire in his voice that made the two youths spill everything that had happened. Tsuna sighed, wishing that someone else would deal with the creature sightings but knowing they wouldn't. He stood and moved toward the town.

"What are you going to do?" asked Takeshi. Tsuna stopped and half turned.

"I'm going to report it. If that doesn't work... well. I'm going to be king, aren't I?" he said, mildly cryptic, before walking off again. Takeshi and Hayato shook their heads, before Reborn reminded them about their jobs. When they came back that night, they saw Tsuna glaring into the fire.

"I take it your report didn't go so well," Takeshi said as he sat beside the glowering youth.

"You'd be right. How can those Marshmallow Dogs be so blind? Is Byakuran so stupid he'd assign dimwits to police office? Surely he knows it is just inviting trouble to have self-absorbed idgits in charge of enforcing laws and maintaining order," Tsuna said, trailing off into dark mutterings as he jabbed at the fire. Hayato sat by him and asked,

"You want me blow them up, Sire?" Tsuna sighed.

"No." Takeshi watched as Tsuna stood and strode off into the dark.

"Oi, you don't think he's going after that thing himself, do you?" the athlete asked. Ryohei sighed.

"If so he's going to need some back-up. From what you guys said, that thing isn't something Tsuna can handle on his own," the boxer said. Hayato nodded and the three followed Tsuna into the darkness. Reborn knocked out Lambo, knowing that the older boys wouldn't be able to look out for the boy and he'd just get in the way. The three found Tsuna kneeling over a fallen man.

"Did you see what it was?" asked Tsuna as he held the man's head.

"It was a boy, but he had the teeth and speed of a cheetah. I didn't stand a chance. He took my money and my groceries," he said, trailing off as he fainted. Tsuna growled, but lay the man's head down gently.

"You guys, make sure he gets medical attention. I'm going hunting," the prince said as he stood. It was then that the three youths noticed that Tsuna carried his bow and a quiver full of arrows.

"Oi, Tsuna..." began Takeshi, but was cut off when Tsuna turned back to him, his eyes glowing amber in the dark.

"Tsuna's not here right now," the blond said. Hayato bowed before the powerful being before him. He hadn't seen this side of his prince, but something about it felt much different than the normal Tsuna. They didn't see Tsuna again for three days. When he returned, his countenance was soured. "The culprits have left town. I caught a passing look at them as they left, but I feel their leader may have clouded my sight with an illusion," he said, sitting heavily and greedily devouring the stew passed to him. Reborn's ears perked up at that. An illusionist? Those who wielded the Flame of the Mist were normally strong illusionists. "Yes, Reborn, I felt the presence of a Flame as I tried to catch them. Whoever their leader is, he's crafty and possesses a Mist Flame, I can tell you that. I can also tell you that I am not having him for a Pillar. There is no way you could make that happen," the blond said. Those gathered at the fire then realized it wasn't, exactly, Tsuna they were talking to.

"What will your other half think when he wakes up?" asked Takeshi, mildly worried. Hayato expressed concern as well and the blond chuckled.

"Tsuna has grudgingly begun accepting that I am a part of him, despite still hating me, so he was able to discern some of what I did using his body this time. He will not freak out when control is returned to him," the blond said. The others sighed a breath of relief. "All the same, I'm worried about that Mist user. He has his own agenda... and I've felt his Flame before. Actually, I've been feeling this Flame for a while now, always just a step ahead... or behind." Reborn hummed as his student's other half appeared to have a revelation. "He's following us until we stop and then he's one step ahead. He's guessing what we'll do when we stop in a town or a city. He's stealing food and vanishing, like a fugitive on the run. Who is this guy?" Tsuna continued, subtly shifting back to his normal self. Reborn shook his head and moved away. He had to find a way to contact Dino of the Chiavarone Kingdom. Surely his former student would have information on Mist using convicts. Especially if it was who the assassin thought it was. Tsuna forgot about hunting the Mist user and focused on keeping Lambo alive and Ryohei from going crazy. Every night Hayato came back grumbling about Byakuran, the 'king's' tyranny, the insolence of the people toward his Prince, and the disrespect they had for books. Tsuna would smile at the silver haired youth and hand him a bowl of stew when he entered the camp. Once the bomber was seated the Prince would proceed to tell him about how glad he was that Hayato was working so hard to earn money for them all. Then Takeshi would make his way to the fire and Tsuna would dish him up dinner and tell him what a great guy he was. Once dinner had been eaten, Tsuna would massage their shoulders and calves with his warm hands, and if he used some of his Flame who could blame him? The continued like this for nearly two months before Tsuna felt an itch between his shoulder blades.

"What's wrong Tsuna?" asked Takeshi when the Prince suddenly stopped massaging his tense shoulders. Tsuna was looking intently at the deepest, darkest part of the forest around them.

"I feel like someone is watching us. And they aren't friendly," he said. The others looked at the Prince in confusion.

"No-one could hide in there. It's too dense. Come on Tsuna-sama, you're imagining things," Hayato said. Tsuna shook his head.

"No, now I'm sure. The illusionist is watching quite closely," he said softly, turning back to his friends. They looked at one another and shrugged. When everyone was asleep, Tsuna crept out of his tent and sat by the fire. "I am an existence in two parts, Illusionist. There is the half that hunted you, and then there's this half. My emotions are easily read and I get scared really easy, but I do have one skill. I can talk. Hayato was a hardheaded punk when we first met, still is actually, but even as a child I managed to talk him into being the best friend I ever had. So, I figured the best thing to do about you would be to talk. You don't need to come out. In fact, I'd prefer you didn't. All you need to do is listen. I know you are on the run, but I also know that you are curious about me and wish to know who I really am. Well, I can't tell you, and you can't find out by possessing my friends or impersonating them because despite my uselessness, I'm not blind. Despite my lack of true skill, at the moment, I can tell when something isn't right. So let me tell you something you can actually use. I won't point you out, hunt you, or betray you, and in return you leave my friends out of this. You may follow us, learn about us, possibly even join us, but you hurt them and my other half will take over... and I'll willingly let him do it. I just hope you don't make my whole person mad, because when both halves get mad... who knows what kind of horror might be unleashed," he said, staring into the fire until the end when he looked straight into the eyes of the hidden illusionist. The bushes rustled and Tsuna knew the illusionist had heard. He smiled, then flung an arrow into the woods. "A gift. Need help from the guards, just show them the arrow and they'll give you what you need. Or at least, they won't kill you," he said before going to bed.

/*/

Mukuro examined the arrow the strange boy had thrown at him. It was rather well made and had flown true despite having been launched by hand rather than from a bowstring. "Interesting," he cooed. Ken and Chicksa, Mukuro's henchmen, were curious as to what their leader saw in the youth, but said nothing. Ken was playing with teeth, the source of his animalistic power, while Chicksa was reloading his needle launching yo-yos. Chrome, a timid looking young lady, watched the boys in mild fear, a state she seemed to reside in permanently. Ken and Chicksa had rescued her and Mukuro, her twin, from the streets. Mukuro had done alright by her, but Chrome had been glad when Ken and Chicksa came along, at first any way. After a while, Mukuro had grown more like a thug and less like her brother. Now she feared him as much as she feared the cold, dark, lonely streets that had been her home as long as she could remember.

"What is, brother?" she asked, her faint voice catching Mukuro's attention easily.

"The group we have been following is lead by a simpleton, or so they would like us to believe. He is a clever one, and he knows we've been following him. Somehow, he even knew where I was watching from. He gave me this," he said, holding out the arrow. Chrome smiled when she felt the power pulsing in the arrowhead.

"He seems kind, and powerful. Can you feel the warmth coming from this arrow? He infused it with Flame," she said, holding it close to her.

"Yes. That is what makes it truly interesting," Mukuro said, smiling faintly at the pleasure his sister gained from holding the arrow. He resolved to follow the boy until his identity could be gleaned without danger of exposure. If he could make Chrome that happy with a warm arrow, just who was he and just what kind of power did he wield?

/*/

Three months after they arrived, Tsuna was itching to leave Attesa. Hayato and Takeshi put in their two week's notice's and started getting ready to leave. The librarian who had given Hayato the job was sad to see the handsome silver haired youth go, he had been a good worker and had actually cared about the books, but knew as soon as Tsuna walked in with an agitated look why Hayato wanted to leave. Takeshi's manager understood in the same manner when Takeshi served Tsuna then stopped to talk for a moment. The brunette was anxious to leave, and he wasn't one to leave his friends behind. While the older boys were preparing to leave, Lambo couldn't tell the difference. Reborn was running him as ragged as ever, perhaps even harder. Never, in all his short life, had the boy endured such hardship. Not even when he was sent out on a dangerous mission with no field training had he felt so horrid. And the worst part was, Tsuna couldn't stop it and it didn't look like he wanted to. By the time they left Attesa, Lambo wished he had stayed. Tsuna noticed, and knew he had to set things right. "Lambo... I'm sorry. I asked Reborn to train you. I don't want to leave you behind anymore, you need someone to take care of you. I want to be that person for you, but my path is one that is full of danger. You have the potential to become a strong man, I've seen it, but you're just a kid. I asked Reborn to look after you before, but now I can help out. Things will be different since we'll be on the road, but I can teach you things Reborn won't now that we're moving. Will you forgive me for letting that maniac trainer tear into you?" he said. Lambo was aghast, an emotion he didn't know he could have. Tsuna watched in fear as the five year old mafia hit man began to tremble. "Lambo?" he asked, his shivering voice a clear indicator of his fear.

"You _asked_ him to do that to me?!" asked Lambo. Tsuna sighed, sensing that an explosion of anger was not eminent.

"Yes. If you had asked, I'm sure he would have told you. But right now I'm asking if you'd like me to take over. I'm not a fighter, I'm a listener, a talker, a builder, and a whole lot nicer than Reborn. Kinda makes you wonder how a guy like him could practically raise a guy like me," the prince said. Lambo sighed, but nodded. "Well, that went better than I thought it would," Tsuna said, glad that Lambo hadn't gotten too mad. Hayato shook his head while Takeshi and Ryohei laughed.

"Ha ha! The kid has the best role model around now!" Ryohei said. Takeshi laughed louder.

"I told you that given enough time, he'd have you calling him master, kid!" he said with a grin. Tsuna sighed as Hayato picked up on the high handed praise of his prince.

"Of course! Tsunayoshi-sama is destined to be king! Even children shall bow before his greatness!" he said.

"Guys! Stop! That's not who I am. I am not a king, I am not a master, I am not special at all. I am just a boy!" Tsuna shouted. The laughing stopped, but Reborn's smirk didn't vanish.

"No, you are very special. Who else could have gotten close to me when I was a kid?" Hayato countered.

"Or gotten me to leave my family?" Ryohei pointed out.

"And on top of all that, who else could have stopped me from jumping off the roof of my school?" Takeshi asked. Tsuna sighed, but the confrontation wasn't over.

"No one else even thought about taking care of me. No one else made me listen. Only you, Tsuna-nii," Lambo said softly.

"I just can't win!" Tsuna exclaimed as he tossed his hands up in the air. The others laughed, including Reborn and the shadow that tailed the motley crew. Lambo quickly realized that having Tsuna as his trainer was much preferable to having Reborn. For one thing, Tsuna didn't beat him half to death every session and for another, he always smiled. As they traveled, Tsuna taught Lambo about tracking, hunting, herbs, birds, and even fish. During one of Tsuna's lessons, his companions expressed their surprise at how much the youth knew. Reborn chuckled, a sound that could make raving mad men shiver.

"He isn't stupid, despite how he acts. If it had to do with taking care of something, even food, Tsuna latched onto it. He's a very good gardener, and if he weren't a king, he could be a huntsman or a doctor quite easily. He only gardens when he slips away from us, and because it's easier to find the gardens than it is to saddle a horse and ride off into the forest when we are after him," the assassin said. The others shook their heads at the explanation.

"But how does he know..." started Takeshi, only to be cut off by Hayato.

"He listens," the bomber said. Ryohei and Takeshi looked over at the silver haired youth. "The hunters would talk in the dining hall, the fishers would grumble on the road, the doctors would compare notes as they walked, and Tsunayoshi-sama would listen to them," he expounded. Reborn nodded.

"And he had more than enough time to learn from the doctors."

"Thanks in no small part to you, Mister Trigger Happy," Tsuna suddenly remarked, causing even Reborn's eyes to go slightly wider than usual. Hayato laughed.

"Like I said, he listens," he said with a smirk. The other two shook their heads at that, though they couldn't argue the fact. Tsunayoshi had the sharp ears of a hawk and the glib tongue of a fox, when he cared to use it.

/*/

That night as they sat around the fire Tsuna asked the question weighing heaviest on his mind.

"Reborn, where are we headed?"

"Namimori. I hope to reach the town in time for your birthday, Dame-Tsuna," the deadly infant said as he poked the fire.

"Oh yeah! Your birthday's coming up soon isn't it," Hayato said, shock and mild fear showing on his fair face. Tsuna sighed.

"Two weeks," he said.

"Too bad we can't get you anything. Wouldn't want to add to the weight in your pack would you?" Takeshi said. Tsuna smiled at the athlete, but was following a train of thought sparked by the comment. His pack hadn't been feeling as heavy as he remembered. He looked over at the faded orange bag and noted that it was the same size as it ever was. He thought about the contents and their relative weights, and realized that if anything, it was heavier than it had been when he had left Sol Levante, even though it felt lighter. Reborn noted how Tsuna was gazing intently at his pack and smirked.

_'Seems our little Prince doesn't know his own strength anymore. Looks like it's time to resume his training_,' the assassin thought. The next morning the group was woken up by Tsuna's screams.

"Tsuna?" asked Takeshi blearily.

"BUSY!" yelled the Prince as he dodged the bullets sailing toward him. Noting that the still sleeping members of the company ran a high risk of getting shot, Takeshi set about moving them out of harms way.

"Too slow, Dame-Tsuna," Reborn chirped as he fired again. Tsuna yelled as he felt the sting of a bullet grazing his arm.

"Just how slow do you think I am?!" he screamed at the gun wielding maniac. Reborn smirked dangerously, as always.

"Like a snail," he said, causing his pupil to groan.

"I'd like to think I'm not that slow, you trigger happy baby!" Tsuna growled as he ducked behind a tree and vanished.

"Well, you've gotten better at hiding your presence," Reborn said, noting with no little pride that he was actually having trouble picking up on where the Prince was. He heard a snippet of laughter behind him and turned quickly to meet a fist.

"Did I really give you the slip, or are you just trying to make me feel better? Honestly, I can't tell," Tsuna said. Only Hayato had seen anything like this from the normally timid Tsuna. The boy was grinning in a predatory manner and was in an easy fighting stance, making the other two boys wary while Hayato was ready to burst with pride in his Prince.

"You have gotten stronger. Good. It seems this was the extra push you needed to grow up, Tsuna," Reborn said, digging himself out of the leaf mulch. Tsuna blinked, wondering what his tutor would do to him this time, and just when exactly he had grown up. "Now it's time to draw on the power of your other half, Tsuna."

"No. I won't do it," Tsuna said, his voice harder than any had ever heard it.

"It wasn't a suggestion."

"Doesn't matter. I'm not doing it."

"Tsuna..."

"NO! I won't ask him to come out just so you can play!" Tsuna yelled, orange Flames flickering from his fists and his eyes glowing amber.

"You're already drawing out his power, Tsuna," Reborn pointed out. Tsuna growled, then sighed as the power faded.

"So what if he has power? So what if I might be able to use it? That power only hurts people. I'm better off with the dregs, the embers of that Flame," he said.

"Tsuna, just accept that he is you, that his power is yours, and find a way to use it for good," Takeshi said, surprising even himself. Tsuna turned to him in confusion, then smiled.

"Of course. You met him, didn't you. Talked with him. But I'm sorry, I can't," he said, then felt the ground give way under the force of an explosion.

"Oh you can. And if you ever want to defeat Byakuran, you'll need to," Hayato said as he stood at the lip of the crater he had made. Tsuna sighed, then appeared to faint. Ryohei, Takeshi, Hayato, and Lambo were concerned, but Reborn held out a hand.

"It's OK. He's just having a long overdue confrontation," the baby said. The boys looked over to where the motionless Prince lay.

"I just hope it goes well," Takeshi said. The others nodded. They knew how much Tsuna resisted his other self, even if sometimes they agreed and shared memories.

A/N: So... I'm thinking the '/*/' help with my paragraphing problem, can anyone tell me how the pacing is doing this chapter? And how do you like my version of Tsuna? He's a bit different, but then again, this is an AU so I figure pretty much anything goes, as long as you can tell who people are supposed to be. Anyway, let me know what you think and I'm going to go work on editing chapter 5. Caio!

Regenengel3


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Yeah, not mine... aside from the plot twists and minor fluff.

**Chapter 5:** Accepting Authority and Power

Tsuna opened his eyes and came face to face with a mirror. "Not exactly what I was expecting," he said. The reflection laughed.

"You expected something in particular? There's a shock," it said before morphing into the form Tsuna had been told he sometimes took.

"Ah, there you are, my other half. To be honest, I thought you'd be hiding in a tree waiting to ambush me as I explored my own mind. Nice to see that won't be the case," Tsuna said. His reflection smirked.

"Good to see you have a sense of humor. So, what cha' doing here?"

"I... we..." Tsuna tried, but trailed off with a sigh.

"We?" prompted his reflection, quirking an eyebrow in a questioning manner, a faint smirk lending his eyes a knowing look.

"Reborn," Tsuna said, deadpan. The blond nodded, knowing exactly what the assassin was like.

"Uh-huh. Told you to suck it up and accept me didn't he?" he asked, only to be surprised.

"Actually, he just brought up the subject. Takeshi told me to, as you so eloquently put it, suck it up and accept you." The blond's eyebrows went up, showing he hadn't thought the baseball player would do something like that.

"Wow. Wouldn't have thought it. Surprise himself?" Tsuna chuckled, his own eyes sparkling, and said,

"You bet. It would have been funny if he wasn't telling me something I hated to hear." The blond in the mirror looked hurt.

"Why do you hate me so much? Why do you hate your own power?"

"Because it hurts people," Tsuna said, fire in his voice and his chocolate brown eyes flinty. The blond sighed.

"Only because I took over when you were in danger. Why I split from you I don't know, but I did and I became the one to protect you. Why do you hate that so much?" Tsuna sighed as well, defeat beginning to show on his fair face.

"Because I was scared of the fire I could feel coursing through me. You split because when I was little, I was scared. Heck, I'm still scared."

"If you accept me and my power, maybe you'll find there are fewer things to be scared of than you thought."

"It felt like I had a permanent fever. How can I be sure I won't feel like that again?" Tsuna asked adamantly. The blond could tell the brunette was trying hard not to fall into full on pleading, but knew he had to press on hard or the moment would be lost.

"Because now your body is stronger, and so is your will."

"But what if my clumsiness causes someone to be hurt?"

"What if by setting me loose your clumsiness vanishes?"

"Will it?"

"Only one way to find out. But, if you are still unconvinced, consider Takesushi. Did I once drop a plate? Well?" the blond pressed, hoping that would be the last push Tsuna needed to believe that accepting his power would help save him humiliation if nothing else.

"I wouldn't know," was Tsuna's deadpan response. The blond sighed, his upper body folding over before he righted himself to look his counterpart square in the face.

"Well... I didn't! And you can ask Takeshi when you wake up," the blond huffed, ending with a pout and crossed arms, eyes defiant. Tsuna laughed and his counterpart was relieved that the tension was broken.

"Okay, okay. Fine. How do I let you loose?"

"I... don't really know," the blond said, looking just as puzzled as his more timid half. Tsuna sighed, then smiled as he realized something. He closed his eyes and reached out. As his fingers touched the smooth surface of the mirror he felt fire run up his arm. He nearly drew back, but he remembered what everyone had said. The fire was a part of him, and it was time he stopped running from it. Gritting his teeth, he did the opposite of what his mind was telling him and pushed further into the mirror, adding his other arm. He finally went all the way through the mirror and after a moment, the fire settled. He could feel the core of the fiery power just above his heart, coursing the heat through him in time with his heart beat.

"I guess that did it," Tsuna said as he opened his eyes and looked back at the mirror. The reflection didn't move. Tsuna smiled triumphantly and his eyes sparked as he noted that the reflection moved as he did, and had brown hair instead of blond.

/*/

"He's been out for a while. Think he's going to be ok?" a concerned voice asked somewhere above Tsuna.

"Uhgh. Keep it down would you, Hayato?" he groaned. There was a flurry of activity and his head pounded as everyone started talking at once. "Didn't I ask for you to keep it down? Ouch," he muttered as he sat up clutching his head. He looked around blearily and saw the Hayato, Takeshi, Ryohei, Lambo, and even Reborn had varying looks of concern on their faces. Hayato had a wet cloth in his hand that Tsuan could only assume had been resting on his forehead.

"Sorry, sire," Hayato said, casting his gaze downward. Tsuna sighed and stretched before looking into the vaguely worried faces around him once again.

"Why does everyone look like they'd been sitting a death watch?" he asked. Reborn chuckled and the young Prince felt a chill run up his back. Assassins shouldn't laugh. Especially Reborn. It was decidedly creepy.

"Because you've been in a catatonic state for hours, Tsuna," the assassin said, the well concealed tone of relief and eased worry not escaping the augmented senses of the Prince. Tsuna groaned again, deciding it would be best for them all if he didn't mention they had been worried for nothing, or how flattered he was that they worried at all.

"Well, that would explain the headache. Too much sleep does that to me," he said, hoping to lighten the mood. He heard barely restrained, relived, laughter and turned to his other companions. "So, you play nice with the other kids while I was out?" he asked with a gentle smile, glad that his attempt had been successful, even if only slightly. Hayato saluted, Ryohei shouted that he had been EXTREMELY nice, and Takeshi gave him a look that plainly said, 'what do you take me for?' "Good! Now, is there any food around here? I'm starving," Tsuna said with a genuine smile. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and set about dishing up dinner.

/*/

"Mukuro-sama?" asked Chrome, wondering why her brother was trembling.

"He's more powerful now than ever! No longer is he an existence in two parts, he is now, truly, the Prince of Vongola!" the illusionist said, wonder coloring his words. Chrome sighed before peeking through the leaves at the camp a short ways away. The brunette and his friends were happily talking and eating, but their power was palpable even at a distance. She sighed again.

"I wonder if he'd take us in. He seems so kind and warm," she breathed, but she knew Mukuro didn't trust them and so would never let her meet them face to face. She was about to be surprised. When all the others had gone to bed, the Prince stayed out by the fire once again.

"I know you're there, Illusionist. I know you watched. Now I want to warn you again. You touch my friends, innocents, or insult my family, and I will not hesitate to bring you down. However, if you join us, I could help you find a good use for that Mist Flame of yours. You know, that indigo haze that makes your illusions so powerful? You should really thank that power for allowing you to evade me. Illusions don't usually work on me when I'm in that form, but yours did. It is no small feat. So, way I see it, right now you really only have two choices. Join me and fight against Byakuran in such a way that when he finally falls you'll be set for life, or leave and fight in your own way which would likely lead to having the worst possible reputation in the whole kingdom and never be able to make your dream come true. Oh, and if you join me I'll feed you and your friends. Just think on it, a warm bed and three square meals a day or live on the streets and steal for a living," the youth said before entering his tent.

"My but you have a mouth on you," Mukuro whispered once the prince was once more out of sight. Chrome sighed. She wished she could answer the Prince, but Mukuro was the one calling the shots. He turned to Chrome when he heard her sigh. "You want to join him," he stated. She nodded.

"He knows, Mukuro. And I think he's right. Fighting along side the Prince sounds better than fighting the world. Please, brother, use your head. Or perhaps, you should listen to your Flame. Mine's telling me this youth is good, and that he speaks truth," she said, unusually bold, before heading to their own, meager, fire. Ken approached Mukuro.

"She has a point, the kid did make a promising offer," he said. Mukuro growled, but turned to regard the sleeping camp once again.

"The royalty is corrupt. Why would I ever join them?" he muttered darkly before returning to his own fire. Chicksa regarded him with his usual stoicism, but under the mask, Mukuro could feel that the other boy wished that the illusionist wouldn't be so hard headed. Mukuro knew the stoic and the beast would follow him forever, but he also knew that Chrome was the one person he couldn't influence. She was also the only person who made him listen to her. The one person who could make him do something just by giving him a look with her single, mesmerizing, indigo eye and her petite features. He sighed and went to his tent to get some sleep, knowing that his boys would take care of any trouble.

/*/

Tsuna kept staring at the woods even inside his tent. Reborn popped out of nowhere and attempted to kick his student in the head. Key word being 'attempted.' Tsuna unconsciously blocked the kick and countered with the same hand, tossing his tutor backwards. "Oh hey Reborn. I was wondering when you'd show your self. What do you think of the girl who travels with the Illusionist? I keep feeling like she's calling out, but she never makes a move without the male moving first. Know anything about illusionist twins?" he said, his tone making it clear he had known Reborn was in his tent the whole time and had just been waiting for the baby hit man to make a move.

"You've gotten a little better since you accepted yourself for what you are," the assassin said. Tsuna cast him a glare, his eyes flashing gold. "But to answer your question, there were stories of twins who possessed the Mist Flame, but they were from Estrango Kingdom. It was said the boy could remember past lives and the skills he had possessed in those lives. The Child of the Afterlife they called him. The Black Child. His sister was the only one who was unaffected by his powers, and shared a fraction of his illusionist power. Reports also tell that on occasion, she came as close to controlling him as any normal human could come to controlling another. If they are tailing you, it would be wise to..."

"I extended an invitation. I'm not about to attack and contradict myself just because you never trust anyone, Reborn. However, I will keep my guard up. Just because I can trust doesn't mean I'm stupid. Years of being a punching bag leave plenty of memories about being too forgiving. But thanks for the information. It makes their motives just a little bit clearer. Now I see why they stole. They felt they had no choice. They have been lied to, and feared," Tsuna said, cutting Reborn off with surprising force. The assassin dipped his hat to hide his proud smirk. Now that the brat had accepted his other, more powerful, half he was truly a force to be reckoned with. It didn't matter if it were battle or conference, Tsuna would dominate and do it with a smile. OK, maybe not when it came to battle, but on all other fronts, Tsuna would smile as he crushed opposition.

"That... is acceptable," Reborn said as he left. Tsuna smirked.

"Always have to have the last word, don't you... Ghrian Laoch," he said. Reborn twitched, nearly freezing, as he heard his old name spoken by his student. How had Tsuna known? And for how long? Shoving the question to the back of his mind, Reborn went to his watch post and watched the small group a little ways away from the main camp. They seemed to be arguing, but then two fell back.

"Looks like they have had their decision made for them. Poor children," Reborn said as he turned his attention to the rest of the forest to keep his charges safe. The following party would work things through on their own.

/*/

Hayato was woken up by shouts of pain. Scrambling out of his tent, he emerged just in time to pull his head back as Tsuna flew by. "What the heck?" the silver haired bomber asked, intelligence forgotten in the face of the oddity.

"Morning Hayato, now duck!" Tsuna yelled as he brought up a flaming hand. Falling flat on the ground and burying his face in the dirt, Hayato barely dodged the burst of Sky Flame Tsuna sent at Reborn, who dodged easily.

"You've gotten a lot better, but your control is still lacking," the assassin said as he dusted himself off. Tsuna snorted.

"Compared to what I used to do, I'd say my control isn't too shabby. Besides, look at what Takeshi, Ryohei, and Hayato can do," he shot back. Reborn's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, you have a point. Well then, as we travel, I'll train with your Pillars until they can match your skill."

"Not Lambo. He's suffered enough for now I think. Besides, I'd like to bring him into the world of Flame Wielding a little at a time. Dropping a five year old into a battle is a death sentence. Dropping him into a training session with trained fighters who use Flames is just plain cruel. I'll take care of him while you train the others, if you don't mind," Tsuna cut in. Reborn smirked and Hayato shivered slightly at the raw power and authority Tsuna was expressing.

"Wait, where are we going again?" asked Takeshi as he stuck his head out of the tent he shared with Hayato.

"Namimori." The boys blanched. They had forgotten about that.

"Namimori? Really? You want me to pick _him_ up?" Tsuna asked, eyes wide and fear evident, even if he had gained the courage of his other self. He had finally realized what going to Namimori would mean.

"Scared?" asked Reborn, his ebony eyes daring the boy to deny it. Tsuna glared and the Flames on his fists flared.

"Petrified," he said. Ryohei quirked an eyebrow.

"You look extremely ready for a fight, not extremely scared, Sawada."

"He's right," Takeshi said, shaking his head. Tsuna was one strange guy before he accepted his other half. Now he was just plain weird.

"Only on the surface. I can tell, the Flame is just reacting to his will to speak his mind. Sawada-sama is terrified of Hibari," Hayato said.

"Who wouldn't be?" asked Takeshi while Ryohei yelled about what an extreme guy Hibari was. No-one knew what his first name was, all they knew of the Demon of Namimori was his blood-lust and his surname... and to fear him. Lambo shivered and the watching Mist users were surprised the assassin would even consider the overlord of Namimori for the position of Cloud Pillar.

"Reborn," deadpanned Tsuna. The others blinked, then burst out laughing, even Chrome.

"Yeah. You have a point!" Takeshi said with a grin. Tsuna sighed, a happy smile on his face.

"Well, if Reborn says to go, go we must. Oh and, by the way, I'm sorry about the training Reborn's about to subject you guys to. It's partially my fault," Tsuna said before scooping up Lambo and vanishing into the woods. Takeshi, Ryohei, and Hayato turned slowly to the chuckling assassin, and the blood drained from their faces at the sight of his face. The spartan tutor was grinning.

/*/

Tsuna and Lambo both bowed their backs as the sound of screams of pain and despair rippled through the air accompanied by explosions and gunshots. "Man, I sure hope the guys live through this," Tsuna said as he dusted himself off. The latest explosion had made him trip over a root. Lambo shivered.

"They may wish they didn't," he said, sounding far older than his five years. Tsuna smiled kindly at the boy.

"They'll thank the little creep after they face Byakuran. I fear Reborn's training may be the only thing that keeps us alive to hate him another day," he said. Lambo sighed, but perked up and acted his age when Tsuna suggested they play tag side-and-seek. They played and gathered herbs and nuts for the rest of the day, returning to the camp foot sore and weary... and to the collective glares of their immobile companions.

"GAHA~!" screamed Lambo, hiding behind Tsuna, who had quite the amusing scared face.

"Hey... guys... we're back," the prince said slowly as he shooed Lambo back to the boy's tent. Suffice to say, the child went quickly and with minimal prodding.

"You... left us to that... that... MONSTER!" Hayato said, eyes going wild for a moment. Tsuna leaned back onto his left leg and quirked his eyebrow, a slight smirk forming on his face.

"You still have the energy to talk, don't you?" he said, irritatingly smug.

"Che," came Hayato's intelligent response. His scowl left no doubt in the mind of the prince just what that 'che' meant.

"That... means nothing," Takeshi growled, his eyes as hard as steel. Tsuna turned to him in shock.

"Takeshi! I didn't expect you to react with such candor! And it means that Reborn won't push you farther than he knows you can go. He may be harsh, but he won't kill you. That's Byakuran's job," Tsuna said. Ryohei groaned from by the fire. Tsuna sighed and moved to see how his Sun Pillar was doing. He was shocked. "Ok. I take it back. That man is a monster." Ryohei was covered in mottled bruises and it appeared that his ribs were cracked in multiple places.

"Ryohei tired faster than the rest of us. Reborn took full advantage of it," Takeshi said. Tsuna shook his head.

"You've been training late, and early, haven't you?" he said reprovingly. Ryohei found the energy to nod his head. "Idiot. You should give your body the proper time to rest. If you don't, you'll have a repeat of this. Now we can't move until your ribs heal and Reborn will get antsy. You don't want to see Reborn antsy, and you don't want to see your friends when he dose. I have a sinking suspicion he'll take out his ire on them," Tsuna said, jerking his head toward Hayato and Takeshi. Ryohei groaned as he thought what the other two would do to him, then fell asleep. Tsuna blinked, his face going slack and his eyes going wide at the speed with which the boxer had lost consciousness when confronted with the thought. He slowly turned to the others, his eyes childishly wide. "What on earth did you guys do to him to make him so scared? Blow up a mountain? Cut down a big tree with a single swing?" he asked. The other two laughed, but stopped and gripped their aching sides, a few bruised ribs protesting the rapid movement.

"No, Sire, I think he was just tired." Tsuna's face became truly impassive, then he raised a single eyebrow.

"Ryohei was pushed hard, and injured quite a bit. Only natural he'd fall asleep," Takeshi said. Tsuna nodded, accepting that explanation, but still resolving to search the campsite for wherever the bomber and the swordsman had scared the boxer. Shaking his head slightly, a faint smirk working its way onto his face, he stood and went to the river.

/*/

"Why do you cling to those children?" Mukuro asked as Tsuna stood from dipping the crude bucket he had fashioned from large leaves into the river. The brunette smiled at the shadowy figure that stood a few feet away.

"I do not cling, Illusionist, I shelter. I am the Sky that accepts and embraces all. You should brush up on your history, Illusionist. Every child is taught the roles of the King and his Pillars. My friends hold me up as my Pillars. That is why I do not leave them. I can't," he said, knowing he was taking a circular route to answering the youth, and not caring one whit. Mukuro grew agitated. This was not what he had wanted when he decided to approach the strange prince. "Mukuro, why don't you just accept that not all Royalty are impassive, pompous, greedy, windbags intent on making themselves rich and always getting their way? It would save you a lot of trouble, and maybe even give you a place of power in this kingdom. I could use a Mist user as strong as you. Such control, and still so young. Yes, you will grow to be a force of nature, if given guidance. If not... who knows what you will become. Think on it, and take care that you do not lose yourself as you seek vengeance," Tsuna said, his voice betraying his weariness. Mukuro was surprised that the prince knew his name, much less what he was after.

"How do you know?" asked Mukuro. Tsuna smiled even as he walked away.

"I listen," the prince said before vanishing into the trees. Mukuro hummed as he looked into the swiftly flowing waters of the mighty river as he thought on those two words. What could one learn if they but sat and listened? What could he learn if he listened? He smirked mirthlessly. A lot. He sat on a log and gazed at the sky. Yes, it did seem to accept and embrace all.

"But could a man embrace one such as I as easily as the sky accepts the mist?" he asked as the moon shown on faint tendrils of mist curling among the trees.

"Yes," came a faint voice behind him. Mukuro turned and saw his sister standing at the edge of the forest, sliver mist framing her between two black trees and making her appear as a ghost.

"Chrome. How can you believe that? How do you know?" he asked, pleading for her to give him the answers his own mind could not. She held out the arrow Tsuna had given them.

"He told me, us, when he gave us this," she said. Mukuro looked at the simple shaft and suddenly saw an orange glow surrounding it. He reached out and took it, and felt a rush of acceptance and warmth.

"How... ?" he breathed, eyes wide. Chrome smiled and hugged her brother.

"Because he's just that great, brother," she said sweetly as she tried to show her brother that there were still those that loved him. Mukuro sighed, realizing what he had to do, yet still rejecting the notion.

/*/

Tsuna smiled as he reentered the camp. It had been an enlightening encounter. However, when he saw the state his friends were in, he quickly filtered the water and helped them get cleaned up. That done, he filtered more water and boiled some of the herbs he had gathered with Lambo to make a potion against internal bleeding and pain. Then, he made a paste with some of the more potent healing herbs to put on their open wounds, after washing them with the water used to boil the herbs to disinfect them. They hissed, expect for Ryohei, as the herbal remedies touched their sensitive skin, but felt better for the treatment. "Thanks, Tsuna," Takeshi said when Tsuna finished binding a particularly nasty gash on his right arm.

"Don't thank me yet, your wounds could still worsen," he said. Takeshi sighed, wishing he knew how to cheer his friend up.

"Dame-Tsuna! Play with me!" yelled Lambo as he came barreling into the crouching prince. It was all Tsuna could do to keep from falling on Takeshi. He glared at the child, then smiled.

"Lambo, I played with you all day. Now it's time for me to play with the others, ok?" Lambo pouted, but he could see something in Tsuna's eyes, a weariness he couldn't understand. He sighed and went to his tent, though Tsuna felt a little sad watching the boy leave. Another heavy sigh left the prince as he turned his attention to Hayato. He frowned as he tried to treat all the various wounds on his friend. "Geez Hayato, what were you doing? Instead of trying to find where you _are_ injured I should be finding where you _aren't_ injured. How did you get so... beat up?" he said. Takeshi laughed softly, trying to go easy on his ribs.

"He rushed and blew himself up. Reborn kicked him around when he found out then threw him in front of me while I was working on a sword drill Reborn had set me. It wasn't pretty," he said. Tsuna quirked an eyebrow.

"And that's funny?" he asked, not a hint of mirth in his voice. Takeshi seemed to shrink and Tsuna sighed again. "You guys are making me sigh way too often!" he suddenly said, pulling Hayato's bandage a bit harder than he should.

"No! And neither is you pulling on that!" Hayato shouted. Tsuna hissed and loosened the bandage.

"Sorry! I was just a little aggravated. Now, how about we make this into a game? How many leaves of..."

"I am not playing a memory game with the herbs used to stop the world spinning," Takeshi cut in harshly. Tsuna looked at him in concern.

"Spinning? The world was spinning? Why didn't you tell me? I'm sure I have something for nausea," he said, turning to rummage in his pack for said herbs. Takeshi chuckled and Hayato wheezed out a sound of amusement.

"Stop! Stop! I was joking!" Takeshi said, a wide grin on his face. Tsuna heaved a sigh of relief, then glared at Takeshi.

"Bad joke. But thanks for trying," he said, relaxing and giving his friends a small smile at the end.

"What are friends for?"

"Lots of things, but you have a point. Alright, get some sleep guys, you've earned it," Tsuna replied, helping his friends inside. The next morning, Tsuna and Lambo were gone.

"Great, a repeat of yesterday minus the Turf Top," groused Hayato. Takeshi simply resigned himself and tried to make it into a game. After all, if you have to do something, why not have fun with it? Meanwhile, far from the sound of pain, Tsuna and Lambo were sitting by the river with pieced together fishing rods attempting to catch lunch. Tsuna had known it would take a while for the fish to bite and thought it would be a good way to teach Lambo patience. It was hard for the boy to sit still, but Tsuna told him stories about his childhood at the palace. As the time wore on, the sound of Tsuna's voice coupled with the peaceful flow of the river lulled Lambo into a calm, restful trance, until a fish hooked itself on his line.

"I got one! I got one!" he crowed. Tsuna laughed and helped him pull the fish out of the river.

"That's a big one! Want to help me gut it?" the prince said. Lambo smiled and Tsuna pulled out his knife. Twenty smelly, gooey, disgusting minutes later, Tsuna and Lambo carried their fish to the campsite where they proceeded to roast it on a hickory stick. Takeshi and Hayato were ragged, but glad of the fish. Tsuna smiled as he watched his friends eat and take a moment to relax before he went to check on Ryohei. He found the boxer practicing his jabs from flat on his back. "Planning on getting knocked down, Ryohei?" the prince asked from the tent flap. Ryohei stopped and looked over at his prince, and the bowl of soup the brunette carried. Tsuna sighed and sat by the boxer's head. "I don't want you pushing yourself too much, Ryohei. It does no-one any good for you to overwork yourself," he said, helping the older youth to sit up.

"You may be right, but I can't sit still!" Ryohei shot back. Tsuna sighed, wishing he knew how to help the boxer. Then a thought occurred to him. Leaving Ryohei to eat his soup, Tsuna went to Reborn.

"I need another favor," the prince said. Reborn sniffed. "I know. I promise you can do as you please after this, but you know as well as I that we need to move. Ryohei is in no condition to be moved or to be left. I know you have the Sun Flame, the same as Ryohei. Speed the healing process and we can move on. He can rest in peace and be treated by professionals if we can just get him to Namimori. Please, Reborn, I promise you can beat me black and blue once Ryohei is checked in and squared away if you will only help him heal enough to be moved," Tsuna pleaded. Reborn felt a stirring of pride in his student, but kept it from his voice as he said,

"I'll do it, but you had better be ready to pay for it." Tsuna grinned.

"I will be, you imp," he said before taking Lambo out for some more herb hunting, and if they took down a rabbit or two while looking for herbs all the better.

/*/

After two days of recuperating, Ryohei was ready to be moved. To make up for lost time, they ran extra hard and reached Namimori a full week before Tsuna's birthday. The prince told Takeshi and Hayato to watch Lambo at the park while he checked Ryohei into the hospital for a check up and any additional treatment he needed. After he was told Ryohei would need a few days of watched bed rest, and would be kept for those few day, Tsuna headed back to the park. What he found was a mess of chaos. Groaning, he attempted to drag Hayato away from Takeshi while ignoring Reborn and trying to calm a crying Lambo. Rather quickly, his patience wore out. "SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN!" he yelled. The boys did so, but the look on Tsuna's face made them want to either dig a hole and bury themselves or run for the hills. "You are acting more like children than Lambo at the moment, Hayato, Takeshi. What in Vongola Kingdom has you two so worked up?" he asked. They all opened their mouths at once and Tsuna gave them a look that made them shut them again. "Takeshi? What's going on with you?" he asked, turning to the most contrite looking one out of the assembled hooligans.

"Well, Lambo played like any five year old boy, fairly well behaved too. Then another kid came, I-Pin I think he said his name was, and they played nicely together, if a little rough. It was all good boy fun, until I-Pin exclaimed and hurried off after some random guy. Lambo got bored and turned to me and Hayato. 'Bow before the Great Lambo-sama! Play with me, slaves!' he yelled. Hayato was... Hayato and then Reborn started calling out battle suggestions and Hayato followed, Reborn being Reborn, and so did I, and the battle got bigger and then you came and I'm sorry I couldn't calm Hayato down, Tsuna, but he doesn't listen," Takeshi said rapidly. Tsuna fought back a smile at the pleading look on his friend's face as well as his descent into near babbling.

"Ok ok! Hayato? Anything you want to add?" he asked. Hayato bowed his head.

"I was insulted by the Cow Brat calling me 'slave' and himself by the sama suffix. I... I lost control, Sire. I am sorry, Sire, for my childish behavior," he said, banging his head on the ground as he began to apologize over and over. Tsuna groaned, then caught him half way through a journey to the hard packed dirt.

"It's ok, really. You may be a future Pillar, but you are still only fourteen. Give yourself a break! Though, attacking for such a reason as being called slave by a love deprived child with authority issues isn't what I would expect from you, Hayato Gokudera. Think of what your mother, bless her beautiful soul, would say if she saw you throwing away your pride and fighting in what is essentially a schoolyard scuffle. And that goes for you too, Takeshi Yamamoto. Now, Lambo, why did you call these at least semi-noble young men your slaves? If anything, they are above you. All three of you are my servants, but Hayato is my right hand and Takeshi my left. Ryohei would have my back, and you would be one of my runners. Once you grow up a bit, I will entrust you to carry messages I would trust to no other. Be it to a village or keep, behind enemy lines, or even to enemy lines, you would be my runner. All Pillars take jobs the King can trust to no-one else, and many of them may be dangerous missions on the front-lines or within enemy territory. They are all servants, but there is a chain of command. Hayato, if I were to be unable to preform my duties during wartime, you would be the one to command. If I become unable to serve in peacetime, and have taken no wife, you would step in and make sure the kingdom ran smoothly. Takeshi, you would be Hayato's second in command. Should it be court or war, you would answer only to Hayato. Lambo, I am not sure where you fit in yet. For now, enjoy being a kid and don't worry about your duties. Ryohei, once he gets out of the hospital and his ears stop ringing from the berating I'm going to give him, will be chief medical officer. Also, should anything happen to Hayato, Ryohei would take over Takeshi's duties while Takeshi would take over Hayato's. From there it would be either Cloud or Mist, and then the other, and, for now, you would be last. Now, back to my first question for you. Why would you call them your slaves?" Tsuna said, drifting off into rambling. The other boys were chuckling behind their hands, even as they stared at Tsuna in awe for placing so much trust in them, for picking them to fill such important roles.

"Everyone is Lambo's slave, or servant. Lambo is the Familia's next Boss. Everyone is Lambo-sama's servant," the boy answered, most of the importance of what Tsuna had said passing him by. Tsuna sighed and dropped his head.

"I am really going to have to find that Familia and give them the what for. I thought I had nearly broken him of that habit! Oh well," he muttered, though the older boys and Reborn heard him and nodded, Hayato cracking his knuckles. They would be all too happy to pound the Bovino Familia. "Lambo, you know that you aren't in the Mafia anymore, right?" Tsuna said, kneeling in front of the boy. Lambo sighed, but nodded his head. "Hey," Tsuna lifted Lambo's chin, bringing the boy's eyes to his, "it's ok, Lambo. I understand how hard it can be to adjust. Just remember, Takeshi has lived his whole life in a small fishing town and Hayato was living however he could before we found him just outside of Rasant. They don't like to be talked down to. So, can you apologize to them and at least try to not do it again?" Lambo sighed, casting his eyes down.

"I'll try, Tsuna-sama," he said softly. Tsuna grinned at him.

"Good to hear! Takeshi, Hayato, play with him would you? But, no catch. I have a feeling that Takeshi would take the game a bit to seriously," he said. The teens, sensing that Tsuna had let them off the hook for the moment, quickly stood and took Lambo to another part of the playground. "Now Reborn, I know you aren't trying to follow them," the prince said sweetly. Reborn froze at the words. Though softly spoken, the words were unrelenting and harsh. Reborn turned slowly to the smiling Tsuna. His blood ran cold. Tsuna was smiling in the same manner the assassin would when planning to work the youth to the bone. "I see. So, you thought I wasn't going to chew you out. Heehee, NOPE! Why did you encourage the fight? Did you want to call down the wrath of Hibari-san and put the rest of my Pillars into the hospital for no good reason? Did you honestly think that would be a good thing? When I want to draw the man out, I'll do it my way, and my way will not endanger anyone but myself. Now, why don't you go poke around and see if any of your sources around here have any information on Byakuran and what he's planning? Knowing is half the battle after all, and who better to gather such information than you? Don't worry, we'll be here at least a week. If I know you half as well as I think I do, that should be more than enough time for you to gather all the information there is to gather," Tsuna finished. Reborn gave an internal sigh of relief. He knew better than to sigh out loud, but all the same, he was glad. Tsuna was simply 'suggesting' that he leave them alone for the rest of the week.

"As you wish, Prince Tsunayoshi," the assassin said with a bow. Tsuna nodded and Reborn vanished into the town. Tsuna sighed and moved to a better position to watch his Pillars. Noting that Tsuna was watching them like a hawk, Lambo was the perfect picture of a good boy, Takeshi took things very slowly, and Hayato kept his mouth shut. Tsuna smirked and settled in to watch them the rest of the afternoon.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

A/N: To: HimitsuAkumaXTenshi; You ask a lot of questions. Some of them will be answered in this chapter. As for the story line... it doesn't really follow cannon. This AU is kinda in between modern and medieval, so... lets call it a steam-punk AU. Characters... I may have to either make a sequel or add a lot more to this to fit them all. Aria and Yuni will be addressed. Luce... wasn't she mentioned in the first chapter? Anyway, I can't tell you everything but I will say that in Chapter 8 the Varia will be introduced. I am currently working on Chapter 14 now, but it will likely take a few more to finish this story up. I'm glad you like my story and hope you'll stick with it to the end... whenever that is. As for my posting time... I'll post when I can, usually at least two days in between chapters. Hope that helps answer you questions!

**Chapter 6:** Anger and Skylarks

Ryohei was restless. Actually, restless would be an understatement. He was struggling like a bear caught in a trap trying to get out of the hospital bed. Tsuna was called and when he arrived, Ryohei went still, his eyes wide in fear. "Sawada?" he breathed, having never seen the prince get mad for more than a moment. Tsuna glared and the boxer made a sound resembling 'mep' as the prince came closer.

"You were told to rest by nurses, doctors, Reborn, and myself. Why can you not follow the simplest of instructions? Lay still and recover! You are no use to anyone if you kill yourself, which is exactly what you will if you don't give your body a rest. You're overworking yourself. Just take this week and rest. If I have to go to the Watch station and tell them that you're being targeted and must be watched at all times I will. I'd even tie you to the bed with my own two hands if it meant you would get better. So please, don't make me resort to tying you down and tricking the Watch into guarding you. I don't want to sink to that level," Tsuna said sternly. Ryohei pressed himself further into the bed.

"OK, Sawada-sama," the boxer said humbly. Tsuna sighed and placed a hand on the older youth's shoulder.

"Look, I know how you love to be active, and I wish I had your drive, but there are times when you need to rest. Will you forgive me for my pushiness?" he asked, looking into the gray eyes of his Sun Pillar. Ryohei smiled at his prince.

"Yes. You care about me and that's why you're being hard on me," he said. Tsuna nodded, then stood.

"Well, I just came so you wouldn't scare the nurses. I should get back to the others and make sure Hayato doesn't kill Lambo. I already had to stop one fight and encourage Reborn to go gather information. Honestly, you guys are more childish than I ever was," he groused. Ryohei chuckled.

"Sounds like you've got your hands full. I promise I'll stay put so go look after the others," he said, waving the prince out. Tsuna smiled and left, telling the nurse on duty that Ryohei wouldn't be anymore trouble. She bowed to the young man with something akin to awe in her eyes.

"Thank you, Tsuna-san! We did all we could to get him to relax and stay still, but he just wouldn't! How did you get him to stop fighting?" she asked. He smiled at her.

"I told him to recover because he was no use to anyone dead and if he didn't I'd tie him to the bed myself. You just need to know how to handle the big baby, madam," he said before breezing down the hallway. The nurse, one of the younger workers, leaned against the wall fanning herself. If only that boy was a bit older, she found herself dreaming. She shook her head and went about her rounds, attempting to forget about that smiling, gentle, brunette with the eyes of a king and the voice of an angel.

/*/

"How is he?" asked Takeshi when Tsuna walked into the park. He sighed and fell onto the bench he had occupied earlier.

"Fit to burst at being kept in bed. I had to threaten him with guards and ropes just to get him to stop trying to get up. However, he should be complacent for the rest of the week. Apparently I can be scary," he said. Hayato snorted while Takeshi laughed.

"That's an understatement, Prince Tsunayoshi. You can be terrifying," he said, Hayato nodding behind him. Tsuna sighed and shook his head, not fully believing the pair.

"Tsuna-san, you do get rather scary when you're mad. Even the great Lambo-sama trembles when you get mad," Lambo said. Tsuna shook his head, but let it go.

"Enough of that. Let's go back to the inn and get some rest. While we're inside I want you three to be quite, OK? I can't guarantee your safety should you wake me," he said, walking toward the modest inn where they were staying. Looking between them, the other two teens shared a thought.

'_Like anyone is going to be stupid enough to wake you when you're like this_.' Tsuna was oblivious to his Storm and Rain Pillars' near telepathic communication as his attention was focused elsewhere, namely his young and over active Lightning Pillar and the road ahead as well as the various side roads and dark alleys they passed. As they were walking along, Tsuna thought he saw a flash of ruby red hair and sparkling green eyes as a young girl, about his age, darted down a busy side street. He felt as though he wanted to follow her, but shook his head and kept going. Like a strange girl would react kindly to a stranger boy randomly running up to her and starting a conversation. And it wasn't like he had anything to say to her. Except maybe that she was beautiful. He shook his head more forcefully and tuned out the side streets as he tried to focus more on Lambo and his other two Pillars. It worked for a time, but then they arrived at the inn. While staring out the window absently, Tsuna saw soldiers marching in the street. His blood ran cold for a moment, afraid that they had found him, then he felt himself begin to heat up. Those soldiers weren't from Millefiore or Vongola.

"Foolish Marshmallow idiot," Tsuna growled, trying hard not to damage the chair in which he sat, "what have you done to the royal family of Giglio Nero?" While Tsuna wasn't all that keen to become the king of Vongola, he had met with the Giglio Nero Queen, Aria, and found her to be a lot like his own dear mother. She was kind and soft spoken and could make anyone feel at ease around her. Her two year old daughter, Yuni, had been a curiosity for young Tsuna when Queen Aria had come to visit but was quickly accepted into the boy's heart. Aria had come to Vongola as soon as she could after Yuni was born to show off her beautiful daughter to her neighboring royals. Tsuna's grandfather, King Timoteo de la Vongola, had made much of the girl and so Tsuna was, naturally, introduced to the small bundle. Being twelve at the time, Tsuna said he would gladly look after his 'little sister,' making Queen Aria smile brightly at him. Tsuna had been close to the Giglio Nero Kingdom's nobility ever since and the sight of Aria's troops marching through _his_ Kingdom in full armor and the banner of the Millefiore Kingdom flying at their head made his blood boil. Hayato and Takeshi came quickly when they heard the growling and snarling coming from Tsuna's perch, despite the warning bells going off in their heads. They saw blond hair dancing in the hot breeze created by the faint Flames swirling around his fists.

"Prince Tsunayoshi?" they asked. Tsuna sighed and the danger seemed to pass, though they could feel the Prince's anger simmering.

"Giglio Nero has fallen to _Baka_uran," the brunette said stonily. They bowed their heads, Hayato knowing exactly why it angered his prince and Takeshi because of the stories he had heard of the peaceful kingdom. For the next three days, Tsuna entrusted Hayato and Takeshi with Lambo, as well as the room key, and told them to lock him inside. He didn't want to run into any soldiers, not in the state he was in. He would likely kill them if he was allowed out. Then, on the fifth day in Namimori, the Pillars brought Reborn with them.

"He came to us in the park and said he had finished the mission you had given him, Sire," Hayato said quickly when he saw Tsuna's eyes narrow dangerously.

"Report," the brunette spit out, his ire still unabated. Reborn knelt and bowed his head.

"I shall start with the information that has doubtlessly put you in this dangerous mood. Byakuran has indeed taken over Giglio Nero, and the royal family has for all intents and purposes vanished. From what rumors I heard I can assume that Queen Aria is being kept near Byakuran. As for Yuni, I believe Byakuran is hiding her somewhere to use as leverage against her mother and the Giglio Nero Pillars. Gamma seems to have been posted here with his Lightning Lancers as the Namimori Reserve, likely because of _him_. Byakuran seems to be building up his power, though many border towns and villages have been hit, the people all but vanishing. I feel that these occurrences are much like what happened to the poor town we came across right before Rasant. We need to move quicker or the spirit of the people will be broken!" Reborn said, his tone slowly beginning to show how much he really cared for the Vongola Kingdom and his irritation at how slow things were going. Tsuna held up a hand and then interlocked his fingers, a contemplative air settling over him. Takeshi tapped Reborn and Hayato before jerking his head toward the door. Reborn nodded and they trooped out, leaving Tsuna to his thoughts.

"He's been irritable ever since he saw Giglio Nero troops on the street. Reborn, will he be OK?" Takeshi said, sitting on one of the few chairs in the small suite they were staying in. Reborn sighed and sat against the wall.

"I don't know. He practically adopted Princess Yuni de la Giglio Nero as his baby sister, for all that she's twelve years younger than him. Add to that the fact that his fighter side and his almost political side have merged and you get an unpredictable mix, for those that knew him before. But the fact that he hasn't hurt anyone yet means that he hasn't snapped completely so that's good. For now, all we can do is support him and help him find his Cloud Pillar," the assassin said. The teens sighed and Lambo cried for candy. A moment later, a hard grape candy came sailing out of the bed room and Tsuna came in with a long suffering look on his fair face.

"Lambo, you know you have to eat things other than grape candy right? Suck on that while I whip us up some dinner," he said levelly. Lambo was silent, though he popped the candy in his mouth, and watched Tsuna move into the kitchen. The teens looked at each other and Reborn, wondering at the almost one-eighty turn in Tsuna's mood, before shrugging and sitting back to wait for Tsuna to finish. Half an hour later, the brunette peeked into the living room area and waved them into the small kitchen. With a flourish, Tsuna presented their food. Steaming bowls of stir-fry pork and mushrooms sat beside plates of white rice and small dishes of multiple sauces. "Dig in!" Tsuna said, taking a seat near the back and pulling a few dishes his way. The others shook their heads, but settled in to eat.

/*/

Queen Aria de la Giglio Nero glared. She didn't normally resort to such things, being a lady and a queen in practically every sense of the words. However, the man, nay, the _child_, across from her drew out the worst of her personality. He was arrogant, irreverent, disrespectful, conniving, boastful, ambitious, greedy, and bordering on irresponsible. In short, the worst possible person to run a kingdom, much less three. When she had been captured in her own chambers by the smug little child he had said, 'Your kingdom fell as easily as Timoteo's. Did you know, he actually handed me the crown with a smile? I don't suppose you'd be as accommodating?' She had growled and fought back, but she wasn't exactly a strong fighter, and the sight of her baby being dragged into the doorway at sword point didn't help. She had been forced to concede, but even then she was not given peace. Yuni was taken away from her and she was turned into the pampered brat's lap dog. Yes, the scum deserved to be glared at, and more, but she would have to settle for glaring. She was stealthy about it, as she was with nearly everything. Whenever she knew someone was looking she would turn emotionless, but as soon as no eyes were on her face she would glare with all she had, willing the brat's clothing to catch fire. After the first time her glares had actually lit the pompous idiot aflame he had set her further away and made a point to glance at her often. Aria didn't mind. In fact, she enjoyed the knowledge that she was causing him such trouble without direct contact, or evidence. After all, no-one saw the glares. The dinner ended and she made her excuses, slipping into the blessed darkness of the stone corridors. She went down the Hallway of Heirs and listened at the doors, hearing the muttering of the heirs to the kingdom, but when she came to her favorite heir's door, she heard nothing. Curious, as this was the first time she could roam the palace, she opened the door. The room was covered in a faint layer of dust. More curious, she entered the room and took a closer look. Plain clothes, gold, and boots were missing. She grinned as she took in the state of the bed. Tsuna had made it out. She took a closer look at the closet and found a note in her mother's handwriting. She smirked. "Oh mother, what have you done now?" she asked with a devious glint in her eyes. She opened the note and read,_"To whomever finds this letter: _

_The True Heir is safe, and that is all you need know of him. Watch your back lest it be burned, that is all I will tell you._

_Cielo."_ Aria's smirk grew into a dangerous grin. Oh yes, this was good.

"Thanks mom, though I suppose Reborn is the one who did the taking. I agree with this decision wholeheartedly. Tsuna will make a grand king, especially when he accepts his other half. Now I can torment _Baka_uran in new ways," she said, grin never leaving her face. As she walked back to her room, Byakuran's troops felt trepidation as they looked on her face while her own men bowed a little deeper at her passing. The Queen had found her strength and would not allow her Flame to wane until she saw Tsunayoshi in his rightful place.

/*/

Byakuran could feel Aria glaring at him. He knew she didn't normally glare, but when she did, he was afraid he'd have a repeat of the one time he had caught fire from the force of her anger. He glanced over at the woman and saw her face was impassive, eyes fixated on him. Or were they focused on a spot just above his head? She was a confusing woman that Aria de la Giglio Nero. He turned back to the blue haired young lady beside him. She was named, incidentally, Bluebell, and was his Rain Pillar, for all that she was seven. "Yes, Bluebell, I think it would be delightful if they served more blueberries. Especially if they served them on top of marshmallow gelato," he said, causing the girl to crinkle her nose at the thought of marshmallow gelato. Byakuran stole another look at Aria, finding her in the same position with the same emotionless mask as the last time. A shiver ran down his back as he returned his attention to the dinner. He had no time to regret digging at the Giglio Nero Queen when he captured her. Though, the look on her face when she heard the Vongolian crown had been handed over with a smile had been worth it, at first anyway. Now it was getting ridiculous. That woman meant to kill him from the stress. When she made her excuses Byakuran was all too happy to let her leave, fear of property damage due to fire outweighed by his relief that his own person wasn't in danger of spontaneous combustion anymore. However, once he returned to his chambers, he was questioning the wisdom of his earlier choice. A note lay on his pillow. A note sealed with a Sky Flame. "Aria couldn't materialize her Flame before. Why now?" he whispered to the dark as he took the note, the Flame running up his arm and leaving a snake like burn mark as it did so. He hissed slightly as his skin burned, but opened the note.

"_You have not won, Marshmallow Freak. The True Heir of the Vongola is free, and beyond even your reach. He'll find you and when he does, you will regret everything you have done. He won't kill you. He isn't like that. However, you will be publicly humiliated. By me, by him, by Giglio Nero's Pillars, by his Pillars, in this Kingdom or the next. You may be humiliated by all of them. It matters not. Foolish Marshmallow, pretending to be a King. You shall be roasted, one way or another, and I will laugh. Sweet dreams, my Doomed Marshmallow Fool, sweet dreams." _Byakuran dropped the short note and stared at it as though it would be what humiliated him. After a moment he picked it up with trembling hands and burned it with his own Flame.

"I will not be burned, Aria. I will kill the one you call the True Heir of the Vongola before he can even begin to act. As for you," he dumped the ashes into a bucket near his desk, "I will deal with you most harshly," he sneered before readying for bed.

/*/

Far to the north, Tsuna shivered. Takeshi, Hayato, and Reborn looked at him curiously. He grinned, though it was strained. "_Baka_uran seems to have vowed to kill me," he said before rolling over in his bed. The next day, Tsuna visited Ryohei. The boxer was beside himself, wanting to get up and train. Tsuna shook his head. "When you get out of here the most strenuous activity I want you doing is making sure Lambo doesn't break anything. I want you in top form, especially with who I'm looking to snag today. And that's why I came, to see if I could let you out of here today to look after Lambo while I attempt to catch the man who Reborn seems to believe would make the best Cloud Pillar," he said. Ryohei gave him a searching look.

"Hibari," he said. Tsuna nodded, glum. Ryohei smiled. "If it's you, I'm sure that Hibari will follow." Tsuna sighed, his head falling forward.

"If only I shared your optimism on this. Hibari respects only fighting prowess. How could someone like me make him bow? I hate fighting and I don't want anyone to get hurt," he groaned, sitting heavily and hiding his face in his hands. Ryohei sighed, wishing he knew what to do. Even when they first met, not even two days after he had been kicked out of the palace, never had Tsuna looked so beaten and hopeless. Tsuna sighed and a quiet splash, barely even loud enough to be heard, drew the boxer's eyes from his hands. Tsuna was crying. Despite all they had gone through, all the pain and fear and desperation Tsuna had undoubtedly faced since Byakuran took over, Ryohei had never seen the brunette shed a tear. It rocked his to his core. Gritting his teeth and disregarding his punishment, Ryohei slid out of his bed and hugged his prince as he cried. Feeling strong arms around him, Tsuna fell into that warm security and hid his face, crying for all he was worth. Ryohei stood, motionless, as the young royal cried into his chest, clinging to his arms as if they were all that were holding him up, all he had. Tears began to form in the boxer's own eyes as Tsuna released his fear, pain, and desperation. When the tears stopped falling and he had regained a portion of his composure, Tsuna let go and backed away, just slightly. Ryohei was rooted in place, still trying to come to terms with the amount of emotion that had just been displayed by his prince. He had known the brunette was emotional, and wasn't all that afraid to show it, but it had always been restrained, controlled. What had just happened was the exact opposite. "We will speak of this to no-one," Tsuna said softly. Ryohei blinked as a quavering smile appeared on Tsuna's face. "Especially not Hayato." Realization came swiftly to the often dense Ryohei.

"Agreed. Hayato might blow me up if he knew you... did that with me and not him. He'd probably think I was trying to take his position as your right hand man," he said with a slightly shaky smile. Tsuna nodded, then giggled. Ryohei's smile grew stronger at the sound of Tsuna's giggles. "Good, you're laughing. Laughing is good," he said. Tsuna nodded, his smile firm but still small. Then he seemed to realize Ryohei was out of bed. Ryohei remembered Tsuna's orders and sat down, waiting for the verbal lashing he was likely to get. Instead, the smile became a knowing smirk.

"It's OK, Ryohei. I needed comfort more than your obedience at the time. I'll see if I can take you with me today," Tsuna said. Ryohei sighed, but laid down all the same. Tsuna chuckled as he left, knowing his Sun Pillar was still slightly worried that he would get punished. At the front desk, Tsuna checked Ryohei out, noting that the young nurse who was helping him seemed to be having some trouble. Blushing slightly, he finished checking Ryohei out as quickly as he could and hurried to his friend's room. "Come on, you're all checked out," the brunette said, blush still coloring his cheeks. Ryohei quirked an eyebrow, but refrained from asking, for which Tsuna was glad.

/*/

Lambo was a curious boy. When Tsuna suddenly went from happy to brooding and angry, the boy wondered, but the other two were so much more attentive and played with him without questioning, so he didn't push. When the change went backwards, he was even more puzzled. Ryohei crouched beside the boy and smiled. "Have you been an extremely good boy, Lambo?" he asked. Lambo nodded, never taking his eyes off Tsuna. "He's been under a lot of strain. He'll be extremely tired tonight and tomorrow. There's an extreme man Tsuna needs to convince to come with us, but likes fighting to the extreme and only respects extremely strong fighters. He'll need us to get along and care for him while he 'talks' to Hibari," Ryohei said, attempting to explain to Lambo the seriousness of the matter. The boy nodded.

"So he's scared?" he asked. Ryohei nodded.

"Yes. Extremely." Lambo nodded, then bounced forward and laughed his signature arrogant laugh.

"Dame-Tsuna's a scaredy cat!" he called out after his laugh. Tsuna's face flamed while Hayato screamed(Ahoshi!) and Takeshi laughed as well, though he was watching Tsuna from the corner of his eye. It did not do to anger the Prince of Vongola. However, it seemed that Tsuna's dark mood had fled and he simply stammered and blushed while Hayato told the boy off for disrespecting the Prince. If anything, the boy's remark seemed to lighten the mood and return things to as normal as they ever were for the Vongolian prince and his Pillars. From across the street, a dark haired apparition watched from the branches of a large oak. His mismatched eyes analyzed the group and wondered at how the mood could be lifted by such a comment. The illusionist sighed and dropped back to the ground. Perhaps Chrome had been right and this royal wasn't like the Estraneo royal family. He sighed and went to where his band was staying.

"After he confronts this man they all seem to fear and are ready to leave, we shall all meet them," he said. Chrome smiled faintly when she heard that. Her brother had finally given in and accepted that there were exceptions to the rules and that the Vongolian Prince was one of those exceptions. Ken whooped as he thought of the extra warmth, as well as the protection, while Chicksa was his usual emotionless self to the world. However, under that mask of indifference, Chicksa was happy. They would be able to live real lives and have a good chance of survival, plus if they helped this prince they would hold a royal in their debt, and that was always a good place to keep a royal. Mukuro ignored them, for the most part, and fixed his eyes on Chrome. _'Happy?'_ he asked over their strange telepathic link. Her smile widened ever so slightly.

_'Yes, Mukuro-sama,'_ she sassed back. Chrome Dokuro was not one to sass often, but when she did, it was undeniably adorable. It was also often undeniably smug as well as irritating, if the one she was sassing was her brother. Mukuro shook his head, but let the small jibe roll off. His twin was satisfied and would stop sending waves of disappointment at him. Yes, now it would be patience and gratitude. Yes, he had made the right choice for his twin. Perhaps the Prince would even take her under his wing. Mukuro shook his head at the thought. Deliver up his cute little twin sister to a royal? Ask a royal to take care of her while he lived on the streets? No. If Chrome stayed by this prince's side, so would he. Never again would they be separated. In the moonlight, indigo mist curled around the feet of a lanky youth with hair reminiscent of a pineapple as he resolved to never leave his sister ever again. Tsuna glanced out the window and saw the faintly glowing indigo mist around the figure of an eerily familiar youth. He smiled faintly as well, accepting the youth's resolve to do what was right for his sister, and stand by her. Soon the young brunette ushered his family to their beds and pulled the curtains closed. He would face the world in the morning.

/*/

Tsuna sighed as he trudged down the street. He had been looking for the town's overlord for over three hours and still nothing. Sighing again, Tsuna suddenly caught sight of a familiar face. The red head from before. She was ducking into a bookshop and so didn't see Tsuna turn to follow. Once he got closer, he saw her put on a blue vest and pin on a name tag. He looked through the window for a moment before realizing what he was doing. Berating himself for being a stalker, Tsuna turned and walked away a moment before the girl turned toward the window to gaze longingly at the sky. To her, he was just another brown head in the crowd, even if his hair seemed to defy the very laws of physics. She shook her head and turned back to her work, never suspecting that the brunette she had just glimpsed was important or that he had a slight crush developing. Tsuna, for his part, tried to put the girl from his mind. Key word 'tried.' Sighing heavily once again, Tsuna returned to where his companions were watching Lambo be a little boy. "Reborn, do you have any information on this guy other than he'll likely beat the living tar out of me as soon as I try to talk to him?" Tsuna asked the assassin. Reborn smirked.

"He loves order and peace in his town. Disrupt that, he'll 'correct' you," the all too pleased toddler said. Tsuna glared.

"I hate when you say things like that," he said, causing the assassin to make an unclassifiable amused sound while his smirk became even more devious. Tsuna sighed again and turned to Takeshi and Hayato, the two most unlikely to get along, who were at opposite ends of the park. A faint smirk, mostly resigned, appeared on the prince's face and he called out to the pair, "Hayato! Takeshi! Come with me for a little bit!" The pair were happy to come, but less happy to be with each other, though that was mostly Hayato being too touchy toward Takeshi being care-free. As they walked, the two bickered. Actually, it was more like Hayato being an up-tight starstruck guard dog that growled and snapped at Takeshi for being too close and Takeshi just laughing at him, playing off the touchiness and making Hayato growl and snap more. Tsuna was beginning to think he had made a bad choice, even considering bashing their heads together himself, when they had to dodge a spinning metal cylinder. "There he is," Tsuna sighed, pulling on the special gloves Reborn had given him. Seeing this, Takeshi drew his sword and Hayato brought out his bombs.

"Herbivores, you are disturbing the peace of Namimori. I'll bite you to death," a cold, predatory voice said from above. Turning quickly, the group saw an annoyed looking, near homicidal, five foot, black haired, steel eyed, absolutely terrifying youth crouched on the roof of a near by house.

"Hibari, isn't that considered trespassing, what you're doing at the moment? Or is that your home? I wouldn't really be too surprised if it were, but still, I gotta ask," Tsuna prattled, giving his companions a subtle suggestion to put away their weapons, which they ignored. Hibari glared for a moment before attacking. Tsuna's hair went blond and his eyes went amber as he blocked and dodged. "I don't want to hurt you, Hibari, but I cannot guarantee your safety should this fight continue," he said, his voice a few notes lower, but not much. Hibari was struck more by the hair and eyes changing than the voice.

"I doubt you could hurt me even if you wanted, Herbivore!" Hibari growled. Tsuna sighed and shook his head.

"It's not me who would hurt you. It's my friends over there who are too stunned by seeing me actually fighting rather than running screaming with my hands in the air that you would have to worry about. Hayato in particular has never liked seeing me hurt and has been known to hospitalize people for doing so. Takeshi... I'm not sure. However, judging from the way he's holding that sword – that I have no idea how he got – he knows a thing or two about swordsmanship, and he would gladly use what he knows on you should you hurt me. Now, why don't you stop fighting me and we can talk this out. In private. Without my friends. Please?" Tsuna said, still dodging and blocking and generally trying not to get hurt or hurt Hibari.

"Only if you fight me seriously, Strange Herbivore," the black haired youth said, thinking that maybe there was more to the brunette. Tsuna sighed, but nodded.

"Outside town. You lead, I'll take care of my friends," he said. Hibari nodded and leapt to the top of another near by home. Tsuna turned to the two youths he had brought with him. "Guys, this is important. I need you to work together and go back to the others. If I don't talk with this guy alone, he won't be willing to help us. You understand, right?" he said. Reluctantly, they agreed and began to leave. Seeing them turn the corner, Tsuna used his Flame and flew up to the waiting youth. "Lets go," he said, wanting to simply get it over with. Hibari sniffed, but took off at a reasonable pace. Tsuna flew along beside him, prompting him to run faster. Tsuna smirked faintly, picking up his own pace until it became a race. Tsuna won it easily once he saw that Hibari was heading to a shrine at the edge of town.

"You're fast, Strange Herbivore. Now we'll see how you can fight," Hibari said, drawing his tonfas. Tsuna sighed, readying himself for a harsh battle.

"You may wish you had never fought me, Carnivore," the prince said. Hibari quirked an eyebrow at the term, though he was pleased the timid looking brunette recognized that he was a carnivore.

"I doubt that, Herbivore," he growled before launching himself at the youth. Tsuna sidestepped at the last instant and Hibari sailed past. Growling, but a little more cautious, the raven haired youth circled Tsuna, who stayed exactly where he was. Using his acute hearing, which was a pain when around Lambo and Ryohei as well as Hayato at times, and his hyper intuition Tsuna could tell exactly where Hibari was. When the fighter made his move to attack, Tsuna spun toward him, reading the minuet movement of the muscles under the skin and coat to see where and how he would attack. Seeing it, Tsuna reacted accordingly, grabbing the tonfa as it went to his left and using his Flame to give him a burst up and over to lock the arm. Taking his own belt, Tsuna secured the arm and ducked away from Hibari's next strike.

"Give up yet?" Tsuna asked, not even out a little out of breath. Hibari glared, then began attacking with only one arm. Sighing, Tsuna dodged with minimal effort, leading the raging youth toward a rather large tree. Just before Hibari would have hit, Tsuna caught the youth's shoulder and leapt back and to the right, forcing Hibari's body to hit the tree with nearly twice the force. Lip bleeding and the breath knocked out of him, Hibari looked up at the strange herbivore who had defeated him. "I did not defeat you. You defeated yourself with your over confidence... plus you underestimated me. It never pays to underestimate an opponent," Tsuna said, holding out a hand. "Come with me, and I can introduce you to someone who can make you stronger than me. Come with us, and you can fight people stronger than any you have ever faced. Plus I can treat that lip of yours," the prince said. Hibari glared at the hand, but then the promise of a good fight and training over ruled his lone wolf mentality and he took the offer. Tsuna grinned. "My party will be staying for another day or so, which should give you enough time to put your affairs in order. You may not be coming back, so prepare for that in the time you have left. By the end of the week, we go to war," Tsuna said before he turned to leave.

"Wait!" Hibari called, causing the prince to turn with a curious look. "What about the trainer?" Tsuna smiled.

"Meet us at the south edge of town at dawn in two days. You'll see him then," he said, taking a few more steps. However, Hibari wasn't done yet.

"Who are you?!" he screamed. Tsuna froze, then began to chuckle, then laugh. Hibari was confused, until the boy turned to him with laughing eyes and a Flame on his fist.

"Couldn't you tell?" the laughing prince asked before flying off, laughter still ringing in the air. Suddenly, the importance of that soft, warm, _orange_ Flame hit him and his eyes went wide before he sank to the ground.

"I was fighting the Prince," Hibari muttered, watching that orange speck fly away. He thought of the two boys who had been with the prince earlier, and how they listened to him, and realized they must have been two of his Pillars. Then he thought of the offer he had just accepted and what he had been told. 'You may not be coming back,' the prince's voice echoed in his mind. "Did he offer to make me one of his Pillars, or am I just a soldier?" he asked softly. Someone 'kufufu'ed behind him.

"He is contrary, isn't he," the voice said behind him. Hibari spun quickly, bringing up both tonfas and suddenly realizing that somehow, Tsuna had taken back his belt before he left. "The two that were with the prince earlier were the Storm and the Rain. You might say that I am the Mist, but I prefer to keep my distance with royals. All he needs now is a Cloud. If he asked, would you accept?" the strange youth with dark purple hair styled to look something like a pineapple said, his mismatched eyes boring into Hibari's steel gray orbs while his smile seemed to mock him.

"Would I get to fight strong opponents?" the overlord of Namimori asked. The strange Mist smiled wider.

"The enemies of the Vongola that the King can trust to no-one else. The Cloud is aloof, watching over the Kingdom from an independent viewpoint. I would say you fit it to a T, but that is me," the Mist answered before vanishing in a swirl of indigo Mist Flame. Hibari sniffed at the Mist before heading home. When he got there, he saw the prince waiting at the door with a first aid kit.

"I said I could take care of that lip, and I mean to. Now open the door so we can do this in comfort and people don't stare at us," the prince said, looking a little sheepish. Hibari sighed, but let the youth in and suffered through the treatment. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I hate fighting, but I knew it was the only way to get you to agree to come with us. We need someone strong like you to help us right the wrong Byakuran has done, and possibly even be the Cloud Pillar. If you chose to not accept the responsibility, I'm sure I can find someone. All the same, Cloud Pillar or not, you can train with Reborn while we fight Byakuran. After even, if he's willing. I'm sure that would a satisfactory reward for your services, for one such as you," Tsuna said as he worked quickly and efficiently while still being gentle. Hibari felt his eyes widen.

"Reborn? As in the Strongest Assassin Reborn?" he asked, his voice betraying his excitement. Tsuna smiled wryly.

"Yep. That Reborn. He's training me and my future Pillars while we travel and try to find a way to topple _Baka_uran," the prince said. Hibari grinned.

"Count me in, but only until Byakuran is dethroned," he said. Tsuna smiled softly at the youth.

"Glad to hear it," he said before he vanished into the warm afternoon light. All the pieces were falling into place quiet nicely.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:** Meetings, Fun, and Birthdays

Reborn looked up in expectation when the door opened. Takeshi and Hayato entered, looking glum and a little angry. "What happened?" asked the assassin.

"Well, we found Hibari," began Takeshi, unusually glum.

"But Tsuna-sama flew off with him to fight one-on-one and ordered us back here," Hayato growled out, making it clear that he was none too pleased. Reborn smirked, having a feeling he knew what Tsuna was planning. Sure enough, forty-five minutes later, Tsuna walked in the door, grabbed his first aid kit, nodded to Reborn, and left. The other teens turned to Reborn, confusion plain on their faces.

"Tsuna won. Now he wants to help Hibari and put the nail in the coffin, so to speak. You can be fairly sure Hibari will meet us as we leave," the assassin said, sitting back to drink his coffee. Hayato shook his head at the toddler while Takeshi laughed and Ryohei screamed something about extremely knowing Tsuna could pull it off. Half an hour later, Tsuna returned with a smile.

"Cloud Pillar secured, Reborn-san. We leave at dawn the day after my birthday," he said to the assassin before turning to his Pillars. "Takeshi, I found a little league baseball team that needs a sub in about an hour. I volunteered you. They'll be in the park. Have fun," he said with a smile. Takeshi's eyes lit up and he rushed out, eager to play his favorite sport. "Hayato, I found a music store about three blocks south from here and a bomb range seven blocks to the east. Take your pick, but have fun, ok?" Hayato nodded and left, though if one looked close they would see that he was excited. "Ryohei... the closest gym is just around the corner to the left. You have my permission. Have some fun," Tsuna said, stepping aside and waving to the door. Ryohei looked at his prince in shock. "You've recovered and rested. You watched Lambo while I was out with Takeshi and Hayato. You earned it. Just make sure you get back in roughly two hours, ok?" Ryohei grinned and gave a nod before racing out the door. Tsuna fell into a chair with a heavy sigh, then turned to Lambo. "What would you like to do today, Lambo?" he asked. Lambo gave him a wide eyed look, then looked to the ground.

"Tsuna is tired. Lambo will draw pictures at the table," he said, glancing up at the prince. Tsuna smiled kindly at the boy and got some colored pencils, crayons, and a couple sheets of paper before sitting at the table and pulling up another chair beside him.

"I like to draw too, Lambo. Come on, show me what you can do," he said, smiling at the boy. Grinning, Lambo scampered over and sat beside the youth he was coming to view as his big brother. After about an hour of drawing, Tsuna had a small collection of pictures drawn by Lambo. One was a poorly drawn Lambo alone on a grass plain, then beside it was a picture of a brown mess looking toward the crying child. Next was a picture of the brown thing beside the Lambo thing. Then something Lambo claimed was Takeshi was looking toward them, then joined them. This went on until everyone, minus Reborn, was sitting on the plain, at night, watching the stars. Then there were the individual pictures. But the story was the one Tsuna felt he would treasure the most. Lambo also had a picture from his 'brother.' Tsuna had drawn him a portrait while they worked. It showed Lambo smiling as he held out his hand to take grape candy from a hand entering from the right, his black hair curling around his face and faint streaks of dirt on his hands and clothes, as well as his cheeks. Tsuna was now working on a self portrait to give to the boy, knowing he would love it. Lambo looked over at the prince, watching as the youth held the mirror steady with one hand and drew with the other, trying to keep his expression the same. Fingers that often looked short and stubby now looked long and elegant as the prince expertly twitched and dragged the tip of his pencil along the paper, forming his own likeness on the paper. However, Lambo couldn't help but wonder at how the representation was so flawed. He looked scared, weak, lost, and while the face had the right shape, it just didn't seem like it was Tsuna. Reaching over, Lambo erased part of the iris and gave the eye some light, then altered the mouth a little to make it seem as though Tsuna was smiling without really smiling.

"Much better," the boy said with a smile. Tsuna looked at the picture and was amazed at how it changed the look of the drawing so completely. Now he appeared happy and confident, a leader. He turned to Lambo, a twinkle in his eye.

"Maybe there's an artist in there somewhere after all," the brunette said. Lambo beamed at his big brother, greatly pleased by the praise. For the next two hours, Tsuna gave Lambo art lessons. As the teens returned from their various fun activities, they all peeked in and smiled before moving back to the living room area of the suite. None felt they could intrude on the moment, and none felt the need. A child could only feel so much love by playing at the park.

/*/

The next day, Tsuna left his Pillars sleeping soundly in the suite and went for a walk alone. He had felt the need to have a day to himself, without the brooding rage he had felt when he told his Pillars to lock him in the room. He breathed deep, the cool morning air refreshing him. "It's days like this that the air actually tastes good," he whispered to himself, loath to disrupt the quiet of the predawn. He suddenly found that he had walked all the way to the Namimori Shrine, then smiled. "What better place to watch the sunrise?" he asked to himself before he turned and sat on the top stair, just watching as the sun slowly rose above the trees. He smiled as he saw the mist gathered in the little low areas while the sun chased it down from the tops of the trees. He looked to the east and saw lightning and rain falling from storm clouds far away. Then he looked back to the sky and somehow saw all of them together. He smiled, feeling something swell within him. "The Vongola sky, accepting and embracing all the elements of the weather as a king accepts all the various temperaments of his subjects," he said, feeling the weight of his role heavier than ever even as pride and joy filled him.

"Could you do it, Prince Tsunayoshi?" a cold voice asked behind him. He sighed.

"I thought you hated crowds, Hibari-san," he said evenly, never taking his eyes off the sunrise. The youth behind him scoffed, causing him to smile faintly. "To answer your question, I don't know. I already have the unrelenting Storm, the requiem Rain, the shining Sun, and the hardened Lightning. Perhaps I have the elusive Mist and the aloof Cloud as well. To be honest, I don't know about the last two. They are the most... tricky of the six to find. However, I feel I can at least keep them all from killing each other. They're like my annoyingly lovable little brothers who make a slight habit of destroying stuff." Hibari sighed, then sat beside the prince, much to said youth's confusion.

"Why are you out here alone?" Hibari asked, looking out at the slowly fading sunrise.

"I felt the need to have a day to myself, without the brooding rage I had felt when I found out that _Baka_uran had conquered Giglio Nero," Tsuna answered. Hibari was silent even as he accepted the answer. He glanced over at Tsuna, then began to get worried as the youth began to grin then slowly turn toward him, though Hibari was proud that he didn't betray this emotion throughout the terrifying moment. "Would you like to help me sow the seeds of a rebellion?" Tsuna asked. Curiosity piqued, Hibari tilted his head, silently prompting the prince to continue. "You don't need to do much. Just come when I call, I'll do the rest." Hibari glared. "Don't worry, you'll get to fight, plus you'll probably get to run the soldiers out of town after the preliminary show," Tsuna added, holding up his hands. Hibari sat back and thought for a moment, then nodded to the youth before vanishing. Just as Tsuna was thinking about getting up, Reborn came bounding up the stairs. "I should have known you'd come, Reborn," Tsuna sighed as he stood. Reborn gave him a look and Tsuna sighed. "I know, but today I want my space," he said as he moved back toward town. Reborn jumped up on his head and caught a ride back. Walking the whole way as a two year old was hard work.

/*/

"Where are you headed?" Reborn asked his student, realizing that he wasn't heading to the hotel. Tsuna sighed, but answered dutifully.

"A cafe. I want a strawberry cake and a hot coco," he said. Reborn shook his head, but allowed his student to do as he wished this one day and leapt off. Noticing that he no longer had his tutor on his head, Tsuna sighed and felt his smile coming back. He kept walking until Gamma and his men came around the corner and saw him. They quickly formed a barricade when, quiet suddenly, a girl stepped into their path from a side street. She was then blocked by the lowered spears of Gamma's troops.

"Hey! I was just going to buy a cake!" she yelled at the men, obviously thinking they were blocking her and never thinking there was someone behind her. Tsuna nearly face palmed at her stupidity. Gamma leveled his spear, ignoring the girl, and prepared to challenge Tsuna. "What?!" she yelled, falling back. Tsuna glared and felt himself fall into his dieing will mode. He didn't really care, he just wanted to make a point and this was as good a time as any. Besides, he had taken a liking to this flame haired girl, even if she did seem a little wrapped up in herself.

"Now now, that's not very nice," Tsuna said from behind the girl. She slowly turned to look behind her. She saw a boy, about her age, with an orange flame on his forehead. She felt a tingle run down her back as she gazed at him. He strode forward with an easy gait, but the soldiers had to fight to keep from shuffling backwards. This made Tsuna smirk in a rather devious manner, and it made shivers run down the girl's back.

"Who are you?" she asked breathlessly as Tsuna drew abreast of her. He smiled down and held out his hand.

"Tsuna," he said, hoping she wouldn't try anything too stupid before he got the soldiers to back down. She took his hand and stood.

"Thank you. My name's Engel," she said. Tsuna smiled and Engel fell against his chest as her knees turned to jelly. "Sorry!" she said, quickly righting herself. Tsuna smiled at her again, then turned to the soldiers, a glare quickly replacing his kind smile.

"Gamma! You know Byakuran will not release Aria until she has been used up. Why do you still fight for him? Why do you follow the harsh orders of a power mad King who has no love for anyone but himself? I know you, and you are not a cruel man. Stand with me and we can take back the Giglio Nero Kingdom!" Tsuna called out, his voice strident and commanding, yet calm and soothing. Engel felt herself falling for the strange boy even more.

"You know it's not that easy," Gamma said, his eyes pleading. He know who stood before him, and he knew that should the youth be provoked, none of them would be left standing.

"So, you won't even try?! Where is the fearsome Lightning Pillar of the Giglio Nero Kingdom! I want to speak to him. If he is not here, I will fight the captain of the Namimori Reserve. Do you not see how far you have fallen?! You were a general! You were the first to fight and the last to flee! Now you are bound to this town, cowed by a teenager, the last to fight, and the first to flee. Oh! How the mighty have fallen! You are not a soldier, you are a shadow bound by the Flame of the King to fight another man's battle!" Tsuna spat back, his eyes burning with the same orange Flame the burned on his forehead.

"I am no shadow! I am not bound! I am the Lightning Pillar of the Giglio Nero Kingdom and am _cowed_ by no one!" Gamma shouted, green lightning flickering about the handle of his spear. Tsuna stood back with a smirk on his face, pleased with Gamma's response. _'Perhaps there is hope for the Giglio Nero after all,'_ Tsuna thought.

"Better, but your last argument is invalid. Hibari! This man lowered his weapon at a defenseless young lady and disturbed the peace of Namimori!" Tsuna called out. The soldiers paled and even Engel felt her blood run cold in terror. Could this boy really command the overlord of Namimori? Sure enough, the raven haired tonfa user was at the scene in moments.

"You dare lower you weapon at a herbivorous woman? I'll bite you to death," he said, raising his steel tonfas. The soldiers ran while their captain fell to his knees, horror in his eyes.

"So it's true. I am cowed by a teenager," he said, then bowed his head, ready to accept his fate. Hibari attacked swiftly.

"Stop!" yelled Engel, darting between Hibari and Gamma. As a testament to his skill, Hibari was able to change the direction of his swing so as to avoid her. "He has lost the will to fight. Would you bite a toothless lion if he was simply waiting for death to come?" she asked. Hibari gave his customary 'hn' and turned to Tsuna, who was re-evaluating his opinion of this fiery red head.

"Omnivore, fight me," Hibari said, lifting his tonfa. Tsuna sighed, but defended against the older boy's attacks. Engel watched in awe as Tsuna easily defended and even turned his defensive moves into offensive moves. It was over in five minutes when Tsuna got fed up. Both had landed several hits, but none of them solid enough to cause major damage, but now Tsuna was completely serious about ending it. He caught a tonfa, flipped over his assailant, caught the second tonfa, hooked them together, then tied them together with the tie he had pulled from around Hibari's neck earlier.

"There, I fought you. Now can I have my strawberry cake?" Tsuna asked, rather peeved.

"You like strawberry cake?" Engel asked, a plan forming in her mind. Tsuna nodded enthusiastically.

"With whipped cream on top!" he added, looking for all the world like an overgrown child. Engel laughed and took him by the hand.

"I was on my way to get a birthday cake for myself, so, in thanks for dealing with those soldiers, let me treat you!" she said happily.

"How old are you today?" asked Tsuna.

"Thirteen! You?" asked Engel. Tsuna smiled.

"Fourteen." Hibari rolled his eyes at the two and stalked off to find more soldiers to fight. He took two steps then tripped. "Oops! Here, let me untie you," Tsuna said, turning around and untying the tie around Hibari's tonfa. The skylark glared at the boy then disappeared in search of another fight. Tsuna turned back to Engel and they walked down to the cake shop together.

"So, what's your name?" Engel asked as they entered the cafe. Tsuna smiled and said,

"Tsuna." Engel gave him a questioning look, but decided that he couldn't possibly be the prince.

"Clarence! One strawberry cake with whipped cream!" she called out as she approached the counter. The owner, Clarence, smiled at the girl, then did a double take when he saw that she was with a guy.

"Who's this?" he asked, clearly wondering how she hooked a guy.

"Tsuna, sir. A pleasure to meet you," Tsuna said with a smile, bowing to the man.

"Well, aren't you the polite one?" Clarence asked.

"I was raised by a man who believed that if one was not polite the proper response was to attack with extreme prejudice and full strength. I learned to be polite to survive, sir," Tsuna replied, remembering years of living in terror of Reborn killing him for not being polite to everyone, especially the psychotic killer himself. Clarence gave the boy a look of sympathy.

"Was there anything else?" he asked.

"Coco, two cups of coco," Tsuna said, pulling out his money pouch.

"Ah! But I was going to treat you!" Engel cried. Tsuna smiled at her.

"I was on my way here anyway, to treat myself for my birthday. Let me at least help out on the bill," he said smoothly. Clarence blinked, then smirked, understanding how the dense Engel Hertz could show up with a guy. She hadn't hooked him, he had hooked her.

"Here, two cocos and a strawberry cake," Clarence said, pulling out the items requested. Tsuna bowed and took the cake and his coco.

"Where would you like to sit, Engel-chan?" he asked, turning around to face her. A faint blush appeared on her face and she quickly took her coco and headed to her favorite window seat. Tsuna chuckled and sat across from her. "Here," he said softly, handing her a slice of cake.

"Thank you, Tsuna," she said, taking the plate and fork handed to her. He chuckled again.

"You're cute when you're awkward. You know you don't have to be careful around me, right? After all, I'm just a guy who wants some cake on his birthday," he said. She blushed deeper and took a bite of her cake.

"Well... you're just so... cool," she said before hiding behind her cup. Tsuna looked at her as though frozen, a faint blush climbing across his face.

"No one... has ever said that... to me before," he said, stirring his coco. Engel looked up in surprise.

"Why not?" she asked. Tsuna sighed, put down his spoon, and looked out the window.

"Why not? It's simple really. I grew up in a place where I was the least among many. I was good at making things, and I listened, but I rarely wanted to do anything but live my bland life so people always called me a failure, a wimp, a loser, a waste of space, and shunned me. It didn't seem to matter if it was a conscious decision or not, people just avoided me. I had many tutors, but even they couldn't get me to do anything extraordinary. And so, I was anything but cool back home," he said sadly. Engel felt something akin to anger rising within her.

"Then they were blind and you were right to get out of there!" she said fiercely. Tsuna looked at her blankly.

"I was kicked out by the man who raised me. I've been traveling for a year now and have met a lot of new friends, so you don't need to get that worked up over it all. It's in the past," he said, blinking at the end and looking as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She blushed and sat back, drinking from her coco to hide her embarrassment. Tsuna smiled softly at her and reached across the table to cut a piece of her cake, then poked it in her mouth. "I'm just an ordinary guy traveling around Vonogla trying to make sense of his life, Engel, so smile and enjoy your cake while you can. I have a feeling things are going to get a lot more intense in the coming months," he said, sadness once again creeping into his voice.

"Would you stop doing that?" Engel asked, sitting back and crossing her arms.

"What do you mean?" Tsuna asked, honestly perplexed.

"Going all sad on me and making me want to hug you tightly until all your troubles fade away," she said, looking out the window with a faint blush. Tsuna smiled softly at her and took her hand.

"No, I can't stop. Why? Because I can feel this kingdom slowly slipping away from its roots, from what it was meant to be. I feel myself slipping, but I can't tell where it is I'm slipping to. Am I slipping away from who I am, who I was meant to be, or am I slipping into the role I was meant to fill? Confusion, loss, pain, fear; these are my constant companions and yet, no-one seems to really understand that I don't lose these feelings, I just mask them and bury them under happier emotions. If you lost everything you had ever known, would you be able to keep the sadness from your voice if you talked about your past?" he said, rubbing the back of her hand with his vaguely rough thumb.

"I suppose not, Tsuna," she said softly, looking at his hand. It was larger than she had thought, and conveyed a sense of strength belayed by his appearance. "All the same, I want to see you laugh and smile and move forward," she added. He chuckled.

"That's what I've been doing this whole year, through all the pain and the loss and the fear I've been trying to put it behind me and move forward. Why do you think I asked you to drop it? I already have," he said. She sighed and he shoved more cake into her mouth. "Now shut up and finish your cake and coco, they're getting cold," he said.

"Yes sir, Mister Hero," she said, then set too eating her treat. Tsuna rested his chin on his fist and smiled fondly as he watched her enjoy her cake. Engel glanced up and saw him watching her as if she were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. "What?" she asked. He shook his head.

"Nothing, I just enjoy watching people enjoy themselves. It reminds me of what I'm fighting for, and why I want to make it through this war." He stood. "Engel, promise me one thing," she nodded, "don't wait to take a hold of your life until the very last, cease the day and don't let anyone tell you you can't."

"I promise, Tsuna," Engel said with a slight blush. Tsuna grinned and took their dishes to the counter.

"What's with the service, Tsuna?" asked Clarence. Tsuna sighed.

"I had to get away for a moment. I have a feeling I was starting to act a little too strange," he said. Clarence laughed and took the dishes.

"Well, you should at least walk her out. Here, a box for your cake," the cafe owner said with a smile. Tsuna gave him a disparaging look before taking the box and returning to the window booth.

"Here, let me help you put away the cake," he said, picking up the cake and carefully putting it in the box. Engel smiled at the young man before standing.

"Thank you, Tsuna," she said, walking to the counter to pay Clarence. Tsuna shook his head and opened the door.

"You didn't really freak out too much when you learned of my connection to the Giglio Nero and Byakuran, why?" asked Tsuna as they walked out. Engel grew pensive.

"We have heard the rumors of the Lost Prince gathering followers to oppose Byakuran, but were resigned to our fate. Ok, maybe not Hibari, but he's an overlord. I'm more surprised that you can call on him than that you are familiar with the Lightning Pillar of the Giglio Nero," she answered.

"Dame-Tsuna, it seems you have a knack for choosing your Familia," Reborn said as he jumped onto Tsuna's head.

"Reborn, please don't say things like that. I'm not a mafia boss, and I don't want to be. In fact, I don't want to be anyone's boss. The only reason I'm gathering people now is because you would kill me if I didn't," Tsuna said. Reborn's foot smashed into Tsuna's forehead and Engel was actually a little impressed that Tsuna didn't fall flat on his back. As it was, he paused as he bent over backwards for a moment before he righted himself.

"Dame-Tsuna. You are a direct descendent of the First Sky. Giotto Vongola was also a Sawada and his blood runs through your veins. You are the rightful ruler, Dame-Tsuna," the baby said, sitting cross-legged on the grumbling youth's head. Engel laughed, not quite hearing that the boy was in fact a Prince, and handed Tsuna a box.

"Here, share the left over cake with your friends, and Reborn of course," she said with a smile.

"But it's your birthday present to yourself! I couldn't take your present," Tsuna said. Engel giggled at the faint blush on his cheeks.

"You gave me something better," she said. He gave her a curious look. "You let me celebrate my thirteenth birthday with my best friend."

"Friendship is the greatest gift ever," Reborn said with a nod. "Accept her gift, Dame-Tsuna." Tsuna sighed, but took the box with a small smile.

"Thank you, Engel," he said, making her heart flutter. She smiled, shook her head, and pecked him on the cheek.

"Thank you, Tsuna. You made this a truly special day, and I know you'll take back what is yours. I can see that mane of yours growing fuller by the day, young lion," she said before skipping off. Tsuna placed a hand on his cheek and felt it heat. Reborn was choking on his laughter as he watched his charge gaze after the red haired girl. Oh yes, the boy had it bad.

"Come, Dame-Tsuna, your quest is not yet finished," he said, having finally gotten his chuckles under control. Tsuna had sighed and returned to the inn where he and his friends were staying. He would have time for romance later, if he survived his next encounter with Hibari and Byakuran. Engel walked into her house with a smile, but it was soon crushed as her foster mother yelled at her and her foster father hit her. In the back of her mind, she remembered the kind smile of the boy who had helped her. As she lay curled up on her bed, she felt his strong arms around her and heard his warm voice whisper her name as she drifted off to sleep. The next day, everyone noticed how Engel seemed to glow. Those who were sensitive to Flame said they felt a tingle of power whenever she passed by them, but it always vanished when they tried to pick it out. Everyday, Engel grew more rebellious against the rule of Byakuran. The soldiers acted like they hated her as a public menace, but in their hearts they commended her for acting out against the harsh decrees of their heartless King.

/*/

The next day, just before dawn, the group assembled just south of Namimori. Soon, they were joined by Hibari and another group of rejects. Tsuna smiled and gave Hibari a nod before turning to the other group and smiling wider. "Welcome to the inner circle, Illusionist and company. Please, introduce yourselves, my friends," he said.

"Chrome Dokuro, Sire," Chrome said, coming forward and bowing to the youth. Tsuna blushed and quickly pulled the young lady to her feet.

"You don't need to bow to me. I am little more than a wanderer at the moment. I may have the Flame of the King and be named the True Heir by the Strongest Assassin Reborn, but for now, I am just a fourteen year old boy trying to find a way to put everything back into some sort of order," he said. She blushed slightly and nodded. Tsuna smiled at her and turned to her brother.

"Mukuro Dokuro," the illusionist said, causing Tsuna to frown slightly. Shaking his head, Tsuna looked to the other two.

"Ken," said a wild looking boy with a mottled burn looking scar running over his nose and spiky blond hair.

"Chicksa," said an emotionless looking youth with a soft white hat and a scar that looked unlike anything they had ever seen. Tsuna bowed slightly to them.

"An honor to meet you; Ken, Chicksa, Chrome, and Mukuro. For trusting me enough to come into the light, I place my trust in you. Please do not make that a mistake," he said, smiling at them before turning to the south and Byakuran, his face growing grim. "The road ahead is going to be dangerous. We are at the northern most reaches of the kingdom and the palace is far to the south, where Byakuran's power is undoubtedly stronger." He turned to his followers, doubt showing on his face. "I know it's a little hypocritical to say this after welcoming you all, but are you all sure you want to follow me into war? Alone, you are all strong, and it is true that together we are stronger still, but the fact is that all of you could survive alone. Are you sure you want to walk into war with a king of three kingdoms? You could all end up dead!" Reborn kicked him.

"Ya think we don't know that? Tsuna, we've traveled with you this far despite how you fought to leave us behind, except perhaps Hibari and Mukuro's gang. If we did that, what makes you think a fearful speech before the next stage is going to make us run home with our tails between our legs to live in fear and shame under the heavy handed rule of Byakuran?" Takeshi asked, sounding vaguely hurt. Hayato nodded.

"I told you before didn't I? I want to travel with you, for better or for worse," he said. Tsuna smirked.

"You said, 'why won't you let me?' not 'for better or for worse,' Hayato," he said. Hayato waved his hand in a dismissive manner.

"Technicalities, I have no need for them." Tsuna snorted, smirk still in place.

"At the moment," he said. Hayato glared.

"Of course you'd say that, Tsunayoshi-sama," Hayato frowned. Tsuna laughed at his friend's peeved look while others looked at the two in wonder.

"They were friends at the palace before Hayato ran away when he was eight, traumatized by the revelation that he was the illegitimate son of a wealthy noble and a talented young pianist, as well as the rumor that his mother's death was somehow caused by his father," Reborn said, managing to sum up a very complicated and tragic story in a single, long, sentence. Tsuna gave his tutor a long suffering look before turning back to the south.

"Enough of this. If you are all sure you wish to fight, let's not waste anymore time," he said, beginning to walk to the palace. Everyone else followed suit and a marvelous, roving, adventure began.

/*/

That night the prince's party huddled around the camp fire nursing their various wounds after a day long training session as they were running through the forest, Tsuna telling Ryohei what he knew about the healing properties of the Sun Flame's activation characteristic. The prince also told the boxer what he knew about healing herbs. Between the two of them, the prince and the boxer made everyone rest easier, but that didn't stop them from complaining. "Reborn is a beast!" Hayato groused. Takeshi laughed while he cooked their dinner.

"He's had to be, hasn't he?" the ex-baseball player said. Tsuna nodded.

"From what I know of his past, yes. In fact, he had a similar past to Lambo's, except he had a natural talent like Takeshi and a temper like Hibari-san's," he said, causing everyone to turn to him in shock. "What? I listen." Hayato shook his head.

"Oh the things one learns by sitting still," he said. Tsuna smiled pleasantly.

"Oh the things one learns when not blowing up the flowerbeds of royalty and the libraries of nobility," he shot back. Hayato glowered at the prince, but soon turned away.

"Tsuna three, Hayato... zero," Takeshi commented quietly. The comment wasn't quiet enough to escape Hibari's notice.

"They have had battles like this before?"

"And Tsuna always wins," Reborn said while Takeshi nodded. Hibari smirked for a moment before it vanished.

"Interesting herbivore, this Prince," the Namimori Overlord said, watching the prince smile at his childhood friend. Takeshi and Reborn both nodded while Chrome watched and longed to join the conversation, but felt as though to do so would be to intrude. Tsuna looked over at the group of four that were unconsciously distancing themselves. He smiled, excused himself to Hayato, and stood. Chrome saw him move and felt a shiver of apprehension as he came closer. She shifted so her bangs hid her eyes as he sat and Tsuna turned his head to her.

"You know you don't have to be afraid around us, right?" he said gently, not wanting to scare her. She nodded and Mukuro came to stop the interaction of the prince and his twin.

"Why shouldn't we fear you?" he asked. Tsuna gave him a blank look, and Mukuro suddenly found himself held fast by the Prince with a hunting knife held close to his jugular vein. The camp went silent and still, shocked by Tsuna's actions and waiting to see what he would do next.

"Why shouldn't you be afraid of me? I know that a man's strength comes not from his ability to end life, but from his knowledge of others and his ability to save lives. I could have killed you a million times before now, but I didn't. I could kill you in an instant, but I won't. Why? Because I'm not like those you once called royals, those beasts who scarred your mind and even now haunt you. Why should you not fear me? An excellent question. There is no reason you shouldn't fear me. I have the power to end lives by the dozens and I have finally embraced it, I just don't flaunt it," he said, his voice a deadly whisper. Mukuro swallowed heavily as the knife was returned to its sheath and the prince slowly moved away from him, his eyes returning to brown.

"Now I don't feel too bad about losing to this guy," Hibari said as he regarded the shocked look of abject terror on the illusionist's face. Ryohei laughed.

"Tsuna's an EXTREME guy, that's for sure!" he said cheerfully. Hibari turned to regard the boxer. Just by looking at the young man Hibari could tell he was a powerful boxer who took his sport seriously.

"Why do you follow him?" he asked. Ryohei gave him a curious look, but turned back to where Tsuna sat with the illusionist and his friends and gave a small smile.

"I follow him because he understands what love is, even though he has never really known what it feels like, and won't force someone to leave their family and all they have ever known. I follow him because he's so ordinary that he's extraordinary. He is honorable, compassionate, and humble. He knows things without having to be told, he can read the people around him like books, and no one has to point out his weaknesses and tell him he needs someone to lean on, he already knows. The rest, he already said it. If you can't understand his extreme speech and see why we follow him, you have a lot to learn about the world, Hibari," the boxer said, turning to the raven haired youth before dishing up some dinner for himself. Hibari shook his head and leapt into a tree to observe the group from above, a safe vantage point that allowed him to be away from the crowd without Tsuna coming after him.

/*/

Tsuna smirked as he heard his Sun and Cloud Pillars talk, and smiled fondly when he saw Hibari leap into the trees. "Thank you, Chrome, but now we actually need to talk," he said to the sweet illusionist beside him. She looked to the side but slowly dropped the illusion. Tsuna smiled and took her hand. "Come on, let's get some dinner. I'm sure you're hungry." She nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment. He was so different from the royals she had known before, she didn't know how to react to him. He turned to her and laughed. "You look so cute when you're confused!" he said, then handed her a bowl of stew. She took it and sat, staring into it as through it could answer all her questions. Tsuna sighed. "Say something, Chrome. I can't be the only one talking," he said with a pleading look.

"What's in this?" she asked, her indigo eye curiously plain. Tsuna dished up his own bowl and sniffed it.

"Assorted herbs that promote health and are very nutritious, potatoes, and wild rabbit that I caught and prepared along side Lambo and Takeshi. The broth is made from water, seasonings, and the flavor of the herbs and rabbit themselves. An excellent stew for on the road and when you have very little to work with," he said before putting a bite in his mouth.

"You enjoy living off the land, don't you," Chrome asked. He smiled at her, then shook his head.

"Not unless I have someone with me. Here, I have ten other people with me, five of which I'm fairly certain actually care that I live. This makes me happy and makes me want to help them. If I can help them, then I get to see them smile, if I can see them smile, I can fight for those smiles, if I can fight for those smiles, I can fight Byakuran, if I can fight him, then I can give my all for this kingdom that has come to mean so much to me. That's why I can enjoy our current situation as much as I can, Chrome," he said, spooning another bite into his mouth as he finished. She looked down into her own stew. "What allows you to go on, Chrome?" Tsuna asked, drawing Chrome's head up from her contemplation of her stew.

"Huh?"

"What allows you to move forward? What drives you?"

"Mukuro. He's always been there for me, so I want to be there for him," she said shyly. Tsuna smiled kindly at her, then glanced over to where he knew Hibari was sulking.

"What if there was a soul more lost then Mukuro?" he asked. Chrome looked at him in confusion. "What if there was a boy who needed your gentle guidance more then Mukuro?" Chrome looked back at her hands, then ate her stew with more force, obviously attempting to get out of the conversation. Tsuna sighed and ate as well, knowing she would ask soon enough.

"Who?" He smiled.

"An antisocial boy who finds other people bothersome and even considers them nothing but animals that get in his way," he said, glancing toward the tree they both knew Hibari sat waiting in.

"Him? Why would he need me?" Chrome asked. Tsuna snorted into his stew.

"You'll see, my sweetly bewitching mist, you'll see," he said before standing and taking her empty bowl. She watched him as he left to wash their dishes and thought about what he had said. Perhaps Hibari did need her more than Mukuro.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Yes, this is an 1896 (HibarixChrome) story. Don't like it? Too bad. Besides, there's not a lot of focus on the romance. This is also a 27xOC story. Same rules apply. the heavy romance, if it ever gets to the point where it can be called that, would be in the sequel if I make one or after Byakuran has been taken care of. That said, enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 8:** And So it Begins Again

Tsuna marveled slightly at how far his friends had come. Hibari had already been a strong fighter, if a bit too confident for his own good, and Ryohei was close to being a pro boxer while Hayato had been training when they first met, but the others? Takeshi had developed wolf-like senses and increased his striking speed, which had been significant before due to his love of baseball, and Reborn had given him a bat that could somehow turn into a sword. Takeshi could cut young trees, just past the sapling stage, into kindling with that thing. Ryohei had slowed down a bit, meaning he had stopped doing his normal training on top of Reborn's and allowed himself time to rest, and had progressed past pro to the point that small boulders turned to large gravel from the force of his punches. Hayato had also improved over the month they had spent in the forest. Tsuna couldn't even describe Hayato's ability beyond amazing. Mukuro and his followers were training with them and Tsuna was mildly surprised that all of them were just as good as the others, if not a little better. None of them could beat Hibari though. The title of 'better than Hibari' stayed with Tsuna. He wished someone would take it from him. Hibari was still upset about losing to the prince and Tsuna's kind and pacifistic nature just made the overlord more eager to bite him to death with his tonfa. Lambo had training, but Tsuna often took the boy aside to train him in the art of being a boy while subtly training him to be the Lightning Pillar, the one who drew damage away from the kingdom by acting as a lightning rod. Reborn tried to keep that from happening too often, since it took away from Tsuna's training, but since accepting the other half of his nature Tsuna had developed a knack for slipping away unnoticed. Not even Hibari, arguably the farthest ahead in Reborn's training, could tell when Tsuna slipped off with the youngest member of their group. Sometimes Tsuna would take Chrome with him when he took Lambo away from the monster that was Reborn. When that happened, Chrome and Tsuna unconsciously began to play house with Lambo. Tsuna was always the big brother while Chrome alternated between middle child, eldest child, and mother. Neither of the boys minded. They were just glad to see Chrome act like a normal girl. Mukuro knew when Chrome went off with the two boys, and was torn between begging his sister not to go along with the prince and thanking said prince for allowing his dear Chrome to have those precious moments of peace and normalcy in their hectic life. However, while most of the group was glad Tsuna showed those two special treatment, Hibari found himself becoming jealous of Tsuna. Jealous that the pacifist was able to spend so much time with the female illusionist. Reborn watched it all in indifference while also being strangely pleased with the connection between the Mist and the Cloud, however strained, young, or one-sided it may be. Tsuna noted the looks Hibari shot him when Chrome rejoined the group with him and Lambo, and mentally grinned as the jealousy became stronger.

/*/

"Take Hibari aside for a private session tomorrow, Chrome," Tsuna suggested gently at dinner. The shy Mist user looked at him in shock. It had been nearly five months since Tsuna had implied that Hibari might need her more than Mukuro and not once since had he brought it up. "Of course, Mukuro should accompany you, from a discrete distance, but he should follow to make sure nothing happens," he added. She blushed, but nodded.

"If you say so, Sire," she said. Tsuna smiled kindly at her.

"Mukuro?" he asked, not bothering to turn around. He heard a snort of distaste from behind him.

"As if I'd take orders from a royal," Mukuro sneered. Tsuna sighed, and Mukuro spoke again. "However, I've seen the way they look at each other, as well as how that boy interacts with others. I know how Chrome affects people. She would do that little birdie good." Tsuna smirked.

"So it is decided. Chrome and Mukuro shall pull off with Hibari tomorrow. I'll make sure Reborn doesn't notice when the split happens. He'd likely try to stop it if he noticed, and that simply won't do," he said, his voice taking on a sing song quality that had the two Mist users looking at him in varying degrees of caution. They hadn't seen this side of Tsuna... not that they knew of. Hibari had seen it, and despite his crusty exterior and his unwillingness to admit it, the sight had scared him. Badly. As it was, Chrome wouldn't sit with the prince the rest of the night. Unable to talk with Chrome, and feeling that Mukuro would trap him in a rather graphic illusion if he dare approach him, Tsuna turned to his childhood friend. "Hayato! You seem to be moving easier tonight. Did Reborn go easier or did you make a breakthrough?" he asked the silver haired genius. Hayato chuckled self-consciously.

"No, Ryohei just sped up the healing more than usual. He's gotten really good with that Flame of his," the explosives expert said, slightly sheepish. Tsuna hummed as he sat down beside the weary looking bomber.

"You feel left behind," he stated. Hayato looked toward Tsuna in shock. The campfire, the only source of light in their campsite, cast the prince's features into high relief, showing just how lean he had become in the year he had spent wandering the kingdom. He had lost the majority of his baby fat and his cheekbones were prominent, giving his face a stark, stern look. Hayato felt himself begin to fear the scarily perceptive wanderer before him, but then he looked into his eyes. Those warm orbs of chocolate brown pulled Hayato in, and put him completely at ease. He sighed, but nodded.

"How did you know?" he asked. Tsuna snorted, an easy smile on his lips.

"It wasn't hard. Your tone gives you away. Work on your monotone while you work on your poker face. Anyway, what do you say to private training with me? I know our elements are rather different, what with your Storm Flame having a disintegration characteristic and my King's Flame having a harmony characteristic, but I trained with the Strongest Seven to control my Flame. I need to start running through their exercises again, now that I've accepted my Flame, and I wouldn't mind running through them with a partner." Hayato stared at his prince in shock for the second time in a little under a minute.

"Are... are you sure?" he asked. Tsuna grinned.

"Of course! I'll let Reborn tort... tutor Ryohei for another month then drag him along as well. Both of you need to know work on your control. Ryohei might be able to use his Flame to help the healing process, but he needs to learn more about the Flame itself. It's... hard to explain. You'll understand after our morning session tomorrow. If you want to join me," he said. Hayato grinned.

"Sure! What time?" He didn't like the look Tsuna gave him.

"You'll see~," the prince said, again in that sing-song voice that had the two scariest members of the group afraid of him. Hayato swallowed heavily. He had seen this side of his prince occasionally while at the palace. Sing-song had never been a good tone when applied to Tsuna. It often meant bad news for everyone. The little brunette had a vindictive streak that expressed itself through... 'pranks.'

/*/

Takeshi approached Lambo when he noticed how the young boy was watching Tsuna talk with the Mist Twins and Hayato with a forlorn look. "Hey kid! Why the long face?" the happy-go-lucky swordsman asked as he sat beside the boy.

"Lambo-sama is bored. Dame-Tsuna is ignoring Lambo," the boy said with a pout, reverting to third person is his irritation. Takeshi sighed.

"Maybe he just wants to get to know the others better. Besides, Hayato was his friend long before any of us met him. He probably wants to catch up with his friend and hang out, figure him out again," he said, showing a depth of understanding that Hayato wouldn't have said he had. Lambo sighed and Takeshi had an idea. "How about I train with you while Tsuna trains with Hayato? I'm sure the kid won't mind," he said. Lambo knew, somehow, that when Takeshi said 'the kid' he meant Reborn. He looked up at the happy swordsman and nodded.

"OK I'll make you my subordinate," he said. Takeshi laughed.

"Tsuna sure made a good choice when he chose you as one of his Pillars. With the right training, you'll be a great leader," he said with a grin. Lambo gave the grinning youth beside him a quizzical look.

"You think so?" he asked, unsure of how he felt about that. Takeshi laughed his usual happy laugh and dropped a heavy hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Yep! Tsuna wouldn't make a wrong choice, not when it comes to the people closest to him. I'm sure he saw something in you, something other than a hurting child in need of a family," he said, again showing a depth of understanding that Hayato wouldn't have thought possible of the baseball fanatic. Lambo sighed and turned away, causing Takeshi to grit his teeth in determination. Blue Flame danced behind the swordsman's eyes as he resolved to make the boy beside him see that they were all in the same mess and they were all chosen as leaders. Reborn saw and smirked, nodding in approval. He'd pair the two up for training. And there was nothing Tsuna could do about it, because it was Takeshi's idea. The assassin chuckled evilly to himself as he plot... planned their tor... training session.

/*/

Ken and Chicksa watched as the Pillars paired up and felt stiffed, but then Reborn kicked Ryohei over. "OH! Reborn-sensei says that I should ask one of you to be my partner for a week. Which one of you wants to box with me?" he asked, obviously straining to keep from yelling.

"Baka," Reborn said as he came sailing into the back of Ryohei's head, delivering a disorienting kick. "I said for you to train with Chicksa," the assassin said. The apathetic youth looked to the loud boxer and tilted his head.

"Why would I want to train with him?" he asked. Ryohei paled slightly, his eyes darting to Reborn. He remembered all those times on the road when he had contradicted or questioned the assassin. Let's just say, he hadn't slept for three days after each 'training' session. Reborn tilted his head down, the black fedora he always wore shadowing his face, and reached for his green chameleon that sat on his hat. Ryohei vanished and the two underlings looked after him questioningly.

"Why?" asked Reborn, his voice suddenly a few octaves lower. The boys whipped around to look at the toddler. "Because I said so, fools!" the assassin said dangerously, bringing his head up in time with his gun and shooting them both in the forehead. Tsuna screamed and caught them as they fell, then glared at Reborn, his Flame deathly calm as it lit his forehead.

"Reborn, if you have killed them permanently I swear..." the prince began, unaware that the whole camp was watching in amazement. Hibari gave a small 'hn' as he observed the carnivorous side of usually herbivorous brunette, again thinking that it wasn't so bad that he had lost to the young man. Reborn smirked.

"I didn't kill them, Dame-Tsuna. If you used your hyper intuition you would know that," the assassin said snidely. Tsuna glared and the Flame on his forehead flared.

"Sometimes, I really hate you, Reborn," he said cuttingly. That was when the two underlings decided to wake back up. They both had dying will flames on their foreheads. Ken had a red Flame and Chicksa had a blue Flame. "Storm and Rain huh? Mukuro sure has strange friends. So, what do you plan to do with them, Reborn?"

"I was planning on having Ryohei train with Chicksa while I trained with Ken, but now I think I'll take these two and give you both Hayato and Ryohei," the assassin said, dragging the two underlings away. Tsuna shook his head at his tutor's antics before turning to Ryohei.

"Well, looks like you'll be joining me and Hayato for a while. I doubt Reborn will let those guys rest much at all," he said, jerking his head after his sadistic tutor. Ryohei nodded, eyes wide.

/*/

The morning after their firelight talk, Hayato grumbled over the early hour Tsuna had woken him at, it wasn't even predawn yet. However, once they reached the spot Tsuna had selected, Hayato watched as Tsuna settled into a meditative state, then followed suit. "Ryohei, please sit down and join us in meditation," Tsuna said suddenly. Ryohei, who had been spoiling for some action and thus pacing back and forth, froze before dropping to the forest floor beside the prince and his right hand. "Repeat after me. Peace, balance, care. Peace, balance, care," the prince said, chanting those three words. The other two jumped in and soon the air around them was glowing as their Flames reacted to their meditation. They did this for two hours, sitting cross legged on the leaf covered mossy forest floor, before Tsuna ended the session and told them it was time for some true Flame control exercises that could be done while traveling. The other two agreed and followed Tsuna to the campfire, amazed that the brunette wasn't stiff. Ken and Chicksa looked much the worse for wear, their training having started last night when they had been in dying will mode, a weaker form than Blond Tsuna that is nonetheless powerful. Chrome was trying to avoid looking at Hibari and Mukuro was enjoying the misery of the others. Tsuna sighed and helped break camp for the day. They moved quickly through the day, Tsuna working with Hayato and Ryohei on Flame control while Chrome fought Hibari and attempted to keep him headed in the same direction as the rest of the group, Mukuro trailing along behind and using his own Mist enhanced illusions to keep the two on the right path. Ken and Chicksa weren't seen until the group stopped for the night and when they did show up, they were half dead from Reborn's 'training.' Tsuna sighed, but directed Ryohei to heal them enough to keep them from dying in the night.

"Herbivore Prince," Hibari said that night. Tsuna sighed, but turned to face the fearsome fighter head on.

"Yes Hibari-san?" he asked, opting for the Japanese honorific. Hibari's eyes narrowed for a moment before he said,

"Why did you pair me with the woman?"

"You need her, Hibari-san, and she needs you. Would you prefer she stay with her twin? Surely you can see how he overshadows her unconsciously. Not to mention how he influences her illusions. Bear with it for a week and then you can spar with whomever you please... just not Lambo. He wouldn't put up enough of a fight anyway," Tsuna answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Hibari was thrown for a loop, but quickly recovered before storming off to melt into the shadows. "Follow him. I dread to think what he'll do to the local wildlife," Tsuna said to Chrome. She nodded and followed the fuming Cloud.

"Hibari-san," she called out. He didn't bother turning, but he did give her a small 'hn' to let her know he had heard her. "Why are you walking away?" she asked, feeling inadequate to the task of helping the Cloud accept others for more than three seconds.

"I hate crowds."

"We know, but you could at least stay and listen to us. One day we might be talking about something that affects all of Vongola, including Namimori, and because of your hatred of crowds you didn't get briefed on the mission. Because of that, the mission failed and many innocent lives were either hurt or lost. What if Namimori was destroyed because you didn't stick around long enough to hear that it was in danger? What if you charged into a battle that was larger than you thought because all you heard was 'teach them a lesson?' At least stay where we know you're there and you can hear us," she said, attempting to get Hibari to ease up on his lone wolf mentality.

"Hn, annoying herbivore," Hibari grunted. Chrome sighed and turned away from the indifferent Cloud.

"I'm sorry, sire. I failed," she whispered as she began to leave. Hibari turned at her quiet statement.

"The Prince Herbivore sent you?" he asked. She stopped and nodded. "Hn. Interesting. Why is he so bent on having me near?"

"You are the Cloud Pillar. The Sky needs his Pillars if he is to stand, and he needs his Pillars to work together lest they all fall." Hibari sighed.

"What do you think of this?" he asked. She smiled, her back still to him.

"I'm honored to be traveling with the Prince of Vongola, and even more so to be counted among his friends. I feel that, maybe, just maybe, I've found a place where I belong. The others are kind and honorable. The only one I find to be a little scary... is you," she said before leaving. Hibari watched her go and thought about her last statement. He was surprised to find he was having conflicting emotions. He was glad that his intimidation was still as perfect as always, but at the same time he was sad that he was making Chrome uncomfortable. He growled and shook his head as he walked back toward the group so as to hear them if he wished. He stopped just outside their circle of sight and leapt into the tree behind him. He settled on a large branch and leaned against the strong trunk of the oak. He thought about how he had been raised, how he had been forced to be strong and ruthless to survive. How he had been forced to grow fangs. How he lost faith in the human race. And how he came to love Namimori so dearly. It had been because of a woman. A mother to one of his classmates in Namimori Middle School. Before he met her, he couldn't care less what happened to those around him. Then the most herbivorous of his classmates stormed up to him, grabbed his wrist, and dragged him to his house. That was when he felt the true warmth of undying love. That was when he fell in love with Namimori, especially the Middle School. It was because that was were he began to regain a little faith in humans and so he began protecting the school and town, though he still cared little for the inhabitants. He looked toward Chrome and felt the same warmth, though distant, that he had when the student took him to his home and had his mother cook the Skylark dinner. He watched as she shyly talked with the others and felt something odd within him. He felt a peace he had never felt before. He smirked and dropped down inside the ring of firelight.

"Hibari!" squeaked Tsuna, startled by the youth's sudden reappearance.

"Hn, I'll be taking Chrome," the skylark said as he wrapped an arm around her before vanishing. Tsuna sighed and shook his head with a faint smile on his face.

"I knew he wouldn't be able to ignore Chrome. She'll be the invaluable link between Hibari and I. I apologize, Mukuro, but this is necessary," he said calmly. Everyone turned to him in shock.

"Wait, you _planned_ this?!" asked Hayato.

"Haha! Tsuna's amazing!" laughed Takeshi.

"OOOHHHHHH! EXTREME PLANNING, SAWADA!" roared Ryohei. Tsuna smiled and turned to his tent.

"My work is done for the night. Talk amongst yourselves, but try not to be too loud. I'm not the only one who would appreciate a little peace and quiet," he said as he brushed aside the flap and entered his tent. The remaining travelers felt something like resignation or amusement mixed with fear as the prince vanished into the interior of the olive green canvas tent.

"Well, I suppose I'll turn in as well," Hayato said.

"Oh, good night, Hayato," Takeshi said as the silver haired bomber went into the tent he shared with the Thunder. Lambo had gone to sleep long before. Ryohei sighed and turned to Takeshi.

"I have nothing to say and it's late. Good night."

"I'll come to. It is late," Takeshi said, following Ryohei into the tent they shared. Mukuro, Ken, and Chicksa had already gone to sleep in the tent they all shared. Chrome and Hibari returned later, Hibari dropping Chrome off in her own tent before finding a quite spot for himself where he wouldn't be bothered by the main camp.

/*/

The next day, Chrome and Hibari were no where to be found and Mukuro was glaring daggers at Tsuna. Tsuna was whistling as he made breakfast after his morning meditation with Ryohei and Hayato, who were both watching the grinning prince as if he were a magical vision. Lambo was crying at being ignored and Ken was glaring at Reborn from behind a tree while Chicksa was sitting calmly at the fire. Reborn surveyed the group with a smirk on his face. Tsuna turned around with a wooden ladle in his hand and smiled brightly. "Good morning all! Hibari took Chrome ahead but I'm sure they'll join us for lunch. Here, have some breakfast. We'll be heading on in a little while," he said. He received glares from practically everyone around the fire, except Reborn.

"How can you be thinking of moving after having sat on the cold ground for an hour just breathing?" asked Hayato. Tsuna sighed and turned to Reborn.

"The meditation is the first exercise we gave Tsuna to help him feel his Flame. The chant is something he added to make it his own. The purpose is to feel the Flame inside you and push it out in a steady and impenetrable aura. This technique is impractical for most situations, but I hear Tsuna used it to save Takeshi. He also uses his Flame to keep himself from becoming stiff. You would do well to watch him closely while he meditates and use your own Flame to sense his. I'm surprised he never told you," the assassin said. Tsuna sighed.

"I was hoping that they would figure it out. Well, they'll still have to figure out how to do what you told them, so I guess it's ok. Anyway, we need to get moving right after breakfast. There's a lot of ground to cover," he said, handing them all bowls of porridge. As they took the food, Mukuro and his friends got a good look at the prince's hands and felt a shock run down their spines. His hands were callused and scarred, but still so gentle. His nails were chipped and dirty, his fingers crisscrossed with tiny little scars and his skin was darkly tanned. Their eyes traveled up his arm and saw the lean muscle stretching and bunching under his tanned skin until they reached his eyes. They were smiling at them. They quickly turned away from those kind eyes. Hayato, Takeshi, Ryohei, and Reborn knew why Tsuna was smiling, but didn't say a word. It wasn't their place. Thirty minutes later they were on their way and broken up into their training groups.

/*/

Aria watched as more soldiers filed in. She snorted. If Reborn was with Tsuna, not even this would be enough. Her boy was tougher than that. Byakuran came up behind her and she turned with contempt. "You are a fool, Byakuran," she said cuttingly. He smiled his creepy smile at her and chuckled.

"Your 'True Heir' will be wiped out before he can get within a hundred miles of the capital, much less the palace," he said condescendingly. She glared at the man, not even bothering to hide it this time.

"You are a true fool if you believe that, _Baka_uran." she spit out, her eyes flashing orange. Byakuran glared at her before turning on his heel to brief the troops on their mission. Aria sent another glare at the arrogant youth and stormed inside the palace, uncaring of where her feet took her. Soldiers of both the Millefore and Giglio Nero kingdoms bowed before her as she stalked down the hallway, her flashing orange eyes telling them it was in their best interests to be respectful. She burst into the room she was given and sat on her bed with a humph. "I feel so useless! All I can do from here is nettle _Baka_uran and watch as he amasses his forces. GAH! If only I still had power over the Giglio Nero!" she shouted. Just then, one of the guards that Byakuran had stationed at her door walked in.

"Pardon me, Queen Aria, but I couldn't help but over hear your lament," he said. Aria started when she realized it was Shoichi Irie, Byakuran's second in command.

"What do you want, Millefore?" she asked cuttingly. Shoichi swallowed heavily before shaking his head.

"I'm with the Vongola, but please don't tell anyone. It was Reborn's idea anyway. But, I wanted to tell you, the Giglio Nero are still loyal to you. Should you command them, they will listen. Also, if you wish, I can pass discreet messages to whomever you please," he said, bowing to her. She smiled, then turned grave.

"Thank you for this information, but you should return to your post now, Shoichi. I shudder to think what would happen if you were found out," she said. Shoichi clutched his stomach before nodding and forcing himself to stand erect. Aria smiled encouragingly at him and walked him to the door before glaring and yelling, "Get out of here, you filthy Millefore dog!" as she pushed him out of her room. He nearly fell from the shove, but quickly righted himself. He knew she was simply acting to help him keep his cover, but it still hurt. Inside the room, Aria grinned to herself, plotting all sorts of rebellion seeding actions. A few moments later, Shoichi opened the door for a servant to bring in some lunch. Aria glared at them both, though she felt like smiling. Ah yes, things were starting to look up.

/*/

They had been traveling away from Namimori for roughly a month and a half, retaining the same training groups, when they found someone unexpected in a small, no-name town. Tsuna stared, Hayato knelt, Ryohei was confused, Takeshi laughed, Mukuro smirked, Hibari was elsewhere, and Chrome bowed her head to the woman. "Mom," breathed Tsuna, not daring to believe his eyes. Nana Sawada nodded with a bright smile.

"Ma! Tsuna, you've grown so much!" she said happily as she slung an arm around his shoulders.

"Wandering the countryside for a little over a year does that," Tsuna said, stunned into sarcasm. Nana sighed.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Tsu-kun, but Reborn and the others spirited me away at the first signs of trouble with Byakuran. I had to go underground not long after that so that Byakuran wouldn't kill me. He 'sent' your father to Pioggia Valle just under a year ago, to 'serve' in the Soldier's Quarter. I heard some of the false king's men boasting about how they had the famous Young Lion. They said he was training the soldiers to subjugate the town, but I get the feeling they locked him up and treat him as a prisoner," she said. Tsuna's eyes narrowed for a moment, his jaw clenching, before he dashed up to the woman and hugged her tight.

"I may not like the man, but I cannot let this stand. What other towns have Soldier's Quarters, mom?" he said fiercely. She smiled at her son.

"Most of the towns surrounding the palace." Tsuna turned toward the south, a fearsome look in his eyes and a killer sneer on his face.

"_BAKA_URAN! I'LL ROAST YOU ALIVE AND FEED YOU TO THOSE YOU UPROOTED, YOU FOOLISH MARSHMALLOW!" he shouted. Nana shivered as the power in those words washed over her. She looked at her son's back and smiled sadly. Yes, he had grown up a lot in the past year, and she was proud of her boy. She just wished he hadn't been forced to grow into a warrior.

"You can't leave just yet. Please, stay for dinner and spend the night. You'll need all your strength if you are to go after your father," she said. Tsuna turned to her with a bright smile.

"How could I turn down a home cooked meal and a warm bed?" he asked with an equally bright smile. Hayato laughed, startling the others, who had never heard the crass bomber laugh before. It was an unsettling experience for them.

"When it's Nana cooking, no-one can say no!" Hayato said. They went back inside the store where they had found Nana and helped out until closing time when they followed the disguised Nana to her home. There, she told them more of her story while she cooked. She started with how she met Iemitsu Sawada, the King's cousin and Tsuna's father. She had been a young chef at the palace and he had been a high ranking soldier. She was sent to deliver dinner to the King's council chamber and so met Iemitsu up close. She put the food down and he thanked her with a smile. Her heart fluttered and she stammered out a reply before serving the king. That was the first time the two had exchanged words. From there, whenever Iemitsu wanted a snack, he'd find her and gush over her cooking. Slowly, slowly, they fell in love. After two years of borrowed time, Iemitsu talked to his cousin and requested permission to seriously court Nana. Timeto had agreed quickly and they courted for another year before Iemitsu retired from active duty and asked her hand in marriage. Overjoyed, Nana had agreed and they were married barely two months later. Not long after, they had Tsuna. When the boy could walk, they tested him for the Flame of the King. When he was seven, he was told he had to live in the palace. Nana and Iemitsu went as well, falling back into their roles in the court as chef and adviser. Soon, they had no hand in raising their child and by the time they realized it, they had to leave for their own good. Iemitsu drifted from Tsuna first, but it was only a matter of time before Reborn and the others stole the boy away from Nana as well. By the time she had lost contact, Byakuran was making his move and Fon smuggled her out of the palace. Mammon came by and found that Nana had Mist Flames and taught her how to use them to disguise herself, which she had been doing until she saw her son's face. "When I saw you I couldn't stand the thought of you seeing me, but having no idea who I was. I dropped the illusion just for you and your friends so that I could invite you to my home without freaking you out," she finished. Tsuna sighed as he finished the dinner his mother had cooked.

"I would have picked up on it anyway, mom. I would have sensed your Flame and confronted you about your identity. Discretely, of course, but I would have asked you about your intentions," he said evenly.

"And if he didn't, I would have," Hayato said with a sneer. Takeshi laughed.

"I don't know if I would have picked up on the Flame, but I would have wondered why a stranger would invite us to their home," he said with a grin.

"Kufufu~. If not for Tsunayoshi-kun, I would have ignored you," Mukuro said. Tsuna glared at the Mist user.

"No. You would have tortured the truth out of her. Freaky Pineapple. Mom, you made the best choice possible when you revealed yourself to me," he said to his mother. She looked at her son in shock.

"My, you've grown more than I thought," she said, then sighed. "I guess you've had to, huh? How much do you know about Byakuran's policies?" she said asked. Tsuna turned hard and cold, his followers unconsciously scooting away as tendrils of Flame swirled around his trembling fists.

"Any who voice their support for the Vongola are to die, taxes are twice as high, soldiers act as police, any who break the law are beaten no matter how small the law or minor the offense, and he has made many more unreasonable laws, including those applied to marshmallows. Many villages, towns, and a few scattered cities have already been razed for their support of the Vongola, for saying they are Vongolian Citizens," the prince ground out. Nana looked to Reborn.

"Just what have you been doing to my son to make him like this?" she asked. Tsuna stood and moved to the window.

"It wasn't him, mom. It was Byakuran. He was what spurred Reborn to new heights. I became like this to fight that mad man, and I won't stop until everything is put to rights," he said, a calloused hand resting on the window sill. "Please, mom, don't get too worked up. Once we take down _Baka_uran, we can rest and be ourselves. Yes, that is why I'm fighting. So we can all just be our selves."

"Fine, just promise me you won't die," she said. He smirked.

"I make no promises, but I'll do my best. For you, and for the rest of the Vongola Kingdom!" he said brightly. Nana laughed and turned to the stairs.

"There are spare beds downstairs and a bolt hole that leads to the forest outside town. I built it myself, to help the rebels. Feel free to use whatever you want down there," she said before vanishing further into the house. Tsuna smiled after her.

"Thank you, mom," he breathed before leading the others down to the hidden room. There they found strange weapons on a rack, arranged in a circle. Yellow boxing gloves, a bone bow, a shield, a long sword with three short swords next to it, a lens and two tridents tipped with indigo gems, and handcuffs with a single purple gem imbedded in the left cuff. And in the middle of the ring of weapons, a pair of gloves with orange gems on the back, the crest of the kingdom carved into it. Tsuna took the gloves and found them to be the perfect size for him. He turned to the others, wearing the gloves, and Hayato gasped.

"Sire, they look like they were made for you!" he said. Reborn grinned.

"They were. I had them made and hidden. It would seem someone brought them to Nana, along with the weapons that were passed down from the first generation. Though, I have no idea where the tridents came from. Deamon Spade used a scythe," the assassin said. Tsuna shook his head, but accepted the gloves, then turned to the others.

"Take your choice of the weapons. Whatever feels right," he said. Ryohei took the boxing gloves and was amazed at the weight of them. Takeshi took the swords, trying to find the right balance. It was harder than he thought to use four swords at the same time. Lambo took the shield and nearly crushed himself. Tsuna picked it up off of him with a sad smile, wishing the boy didn't need to learn how to use the heavy shield. Hayato took the bow and felt a sense of responsibility he had been unprepared for. Mukuro and Chrome took the tridents and Mukuro took the lens. They were amazed by the way the tridents responded, as if alive and waiting, and Mukuro was impressed by what he could see through the lens. Hibari wasn't there, but they knew the handcuffs were meant for him. "The four irregular swords of the Requiem Rain, the gloves of the Shining Fist, the bow of the Raging Storm, the shield of the Thunder, the lens of the Cunning Mist, the handcuffs of the Aloof Cloud, and the gauntlet of the Sky. Heh, so we've been given the weapons of the strongest generation, the founders. With this, it would be a breeze to defeat Byakuran, except for the fact we know next to nothing about how to use them. Reborn! You'd better have a good reason for gathering these," the prince said, turning to the assassin at the end of his mini speech.

"I can train you to use most of these weapons, but there is only one who can teach Yamamoto. Squalo Superbi, the Rain Shark of the Varia," Reborn said. Tsuna gasped, his eyes wide. Hayato was equally distressed.

"You mean... _that_ Varia? As in the _under ground assassination squad of the Vongola __**Varia?!**_" Tsuna squawked. Reborn nodded, amused by his student's reaction.

"Why would _**they**_ help us? Squalo has never taken a student!" Hayato added. Reborn sighed.

"Perhaps if Takeshi won against Squalo using the same weapon, he'd train with him," the child said. Takeshi laughed.

"I'd never be able to beat him the way I am now," he said. Tsuna nodded with a sigh.

"That's all too true, Takeshi." Reborn chuckled.

"Have you forgotten why Takeshi was chosen, Dame-Tsuna?"

"Of course! His father! But wait, was Tsuyoshi a swordsman?"

"He owns a sushi bar. What do you think," Hayato said suddenly.

"Tsuyoshi Yamamoto was among the best swordsmen in the entire Kingdom and trusted with the life of the king's own sons when they went out to play. If he were to pass on his style to his son, we might have a chance," Reborn said. Tsuna sighed heavily then flopped down on a near by cot.

"That works out well, doesn't it? We're headed to Pioggia Valle to get my dad, why not stop by Takesushi one more time?" he said, his eyes flashing orange. The others nodded and took cots of their own. In the morning they filed into the kitchen and had one last meal with Nana Sawada before heading out. She noted that they had taken the special weapons, but only nodded acceptance. After all, they were the true successors of the Vongola Kingdom and all the power and responsibility that went with it. She just wished her son didn't have to enter that world so young. Sure he was fourteen, but not many would listen to a fourteen year old unless he were cold, hard, and unrelenting. Tsuna was anything but, most of the time. She sighed while a smirk played at the corners of her lips. He was so much like his father, she doubted anyone would stand in his way were he to become angry. She chuckled as she remembered how people reacted when her always smiling husband dropped the happy smile and glared. They ran for the hills, before they were stopped by the gate and reminded that Iemitsu wasn't allowed to kill them within the walls of the palace. It didn't stop them from running away. He was still allowed to torture them within an inch of their lives. She shook her head and got ready for her day. Little did she know that a plan had been put in motion to slowly overthrow Byakuran's control, and that she was a key part of the plot.

/*/

Not even two days out of the town were they found Nana, the prince's party was attacked by Squalo. The Rain Pillar of the Varia yelled as he attacked Takeshi. The former baseball player barely managed to get his sword up in time to block the blow. "VOI! SWORD KID! FIGHT ME AS IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!" Squalo screamed as he attacked relentlessly. Takeshi did his best to avoid death, but he was soon forced to the forest floor.

"Stop," Tsuna ordered, emotionless. Squalo instantly froze and turned, along with Takeshi, to regard the slender brunette. As his eyes opened and fixed the two Rain users with a steady half glare, they both flinched. They both knew in that instant that they never wanted to see Tsuna like that ever again, because that look promised death.

"V-voi, since when have you been so commanding, Kid?" asked a shaky Squalo. Takeshi bowed with his forehead to the ground.

"I failed in my training. Forgive me," he said. Tsuna sighed.

"I became commanding the moment I accepted my power. _This_ commanding, however, is simply because I am _not pleased_. Squalo, we were hoping you could train Takeshi, not kill him," he said.

"VOI! I don't take disciples!" the Rain Shark yelled before turning and vanishing into the trees. Tsuna and the others blinked at the rapid departure, but accepted it. That was when Xanxus stepped out from behind a tree and offered a challenge.

"Fight us to Pioggia Valle in a tournament, and I'll accept that you're the Tenth Successors, Trash," he said, then turned to follow his Rain Pillar.

"I'd rather not, thanks," Tsuna said. "I don't care whether or not you accept me or my Pillars. All I care about is saving this kingdom."

"You don't have a choice, Trash," the scarred man said before following his subordinate into the trees. Tsuna shook his head but lead his friends onward. A little under a week after the challenge was issued, the Varia Sun Pillar struck. The sun was high and bright in the clearing Lussuria had chosen as his battlefield and the dark glasses the strange Muay Thai expert always wore gave him an advantage. Ryohei was confident at first, but he soon discovered why the man was to be feared. It seemed he would be defeated by Lussuria and his metal knee as the blinding sun beat down on him, unmercifully hot. Then Ryohei remembered something Reborn had told him when the assassin healed him enough to be moved to Namimori.

'Flames are not just a symbol, and yours are not just to heal. They can be used to attack as well,' the little man had said.

"Use my Flame to attack," the boxer muttered. Then a light came into his eyes. Shifting into a left front stance, he readied his right fist. He smirked at the laughing fighter, even though his left fist trembled from its meeting with said man's metal knee. "Sorry, but we have a kingdom to save and I can't waste any more time on you. This punch will be the one that defeats you, to the extreme," the boxer said. Lussuria laughed his girly man laugh.

"Mah~! How can you be so sure, Boxer-Chan~?" he asked. Ryohei's smile grew as he charged his fist with his Sun Flames.

"Because it was Reborn who taught me this trick," he said. Lussuria flinched, but charged anyway. A cloud blocked the sun and Ryohei focused on the rapidly approaching fighter. When he was close enough, Ryohei unleashed a powerful right cross and enveloped Lussuria in a burning blanket of Sun Flames. The Varia Pillar fell, defeated.

"Here, you'll need this," he said, pulling a small ring from around his neck and holding it out to the confused Ryohei. Tsuna looked over his Sun Pillar's shoulder and gasped.

"That's the Sun Ring! It's the symbol of the Sun Pillar position!" he said, shocked that the Varia had the Vongola Rings.

"But of course. Why do you think Timeto and his Pillars gave up so easily? They knew the Rings were protected and would be delivered to those deserving of their power," Reborn said with a smirk. Tsuna glared at the assassin.

"You are evil, you know that? You could have told me that was why Xanxus issued that challenge! Maybe then I would would have taken it more seriously," he said hotly. Reborn smirked. "Right, of course. You wanted to watch me get chewed out by the hot headed head of the Varia, Uncle Timeto's adopted son Xanxus, and then listen to me squeal when I found out. You are one sick man, Reborn," Tsuna sighed, turning back to Ryohei.

"So, this thing means I'm the Sun Pillar, right?" the boxer asked. Tsuna nodded, his face grave.

"Yes, but it also means you'll be in danger, even after all this. So, I'll ask you myself. Will you be my Sun Pillar until a new generation is chosen to take our place?" Tsuna asked. The others could feel the gravity of the question. Ryohei smiled brightly at the prince.

"Of course! I'll watch your back and fight for this kingdom to the end! It's my home after all, and you're my friend," he said. Tsuna smiled and the mood lifted as the bright sun was once again unveiled.

"Well then, welcome to the Vongolian Court, Sir Ryohei Sasagawa of Sol Levante," the prince said, holding out his hand. Ryohei nodded, took his prince's hand, and felt as if the world had suddenly shifted just enough that everything fit perfectly into place. He looked up at the sky and let out a scream of joy. Tsuna and the others stepped back with fond smiles on their faces, except for Hayato. He had a fond sneer on his face.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:**** Only most of the plot is mine. And Engel. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 9:** Rebels and Lightning Strikes

Engel glared at the soldiers matching by. It had been nearly two months since Tsuna, the mysterious boy who had eaten cake with her, had left with Hibari and the soldiers were getting worse and worse. They did nothing to stop crime. In fact, they might have actually been the culprits of a few incidents. Gamma had almost never been seen outside guard house, or inside it for that matter. The humiliation Tsuna had handed him seemed to be troubling the soldier more than the people of Namimori had originally thought. Then a messenger came. Gamma's scream was heard all over Namimori when he read the message the poor young man had delivered. Engel shook her head and continued on her path, thinking the man's scream meant nothing for her, except, possibly, a headache. Kicking open the door to the old warehouse, she strutted to her 'office' and swung open the double doors. "Time for some more organized rebellion," she said cheerfully as she sauntered up to the makeshift desk and plopped down on the scavenged chair. It groaned ominously and a puff of dust went up around her, but she paid it no mind. She had been using that chair for almost two months and it had never followed through with its promises of failure. Pulling out a pencil and dragging a stack of papers toward her, Engel set about her job as head of the Chaos Angels, a group that opposed Byakuran's outlandish policies and upheld the 'Old Ways.' She read the reports of her 'agents' and inspected plans, plots, and requests, handing out her signature to those she approved of. When a questionable plan, plot, or request came up, Engel opened a large book that sat on the corner of the desk. It was an old law book that had been tossed out when Byakuran took over and inserted his own judges, juries, and lawyers. Despite being a rebel, and a bit dense on occasion, Engel Marie Hertz dreamed of being the greatest lawyer the Vongola had ever known. She just couldn't work toward that goal as long as Byakuran's laws were in place. She sighed as the afternoon drug on, then stopped her 'job' and pulled out her homework. Halfway through her composition homework, one of her 'agents' burst into her office. "What?" she barked, her eyes narrowing and flashing, for the briefest of moments, orange.

"It... it... it's... Gamma," the young boy said, clearly shocked and terrified. She quirked an eyebrow.

"If Gamma were here, wouldn't you be gone by now? Or at least have spit it out faster, and accompanied by an earsplitting scream of 'get out while you can!'?" she said evenly. A deep laugh sounded behind the jumpy youth and the ever impressive and debonaire figure of Captain Gamma of the Namimori Reserve brushed past.

"You'll have to forgive him, I was a bit blunt when I said what I wanted. He seems to be deep in shock at the moment, Miss Hertz," he said, sweeping her a gracious bow. Her face flushed, but she waved the shivering agent out of the almost office.

"Make sure we are not disturbed. I have a feeling I will want to hear what he has to say," she said as the quaking youth left. Gamma chuckled.

"You run a tight ship. Too bad we had to meet under these circumstances, you and I could have been great friends," he said. She smirked.

"We still could, Captain. Now, how did you find us?" she said, deciding that his reason for being in her office could wait. She wanted to know if she should see about finding a better place for the Chaos Angels' HQ.

"I had quite a time of it, I can assure you. I had to ask seventy people where I could find the leader of the rebellion in Namimori before I stopped a kid with angel wings tattooed on his left arm and an orange vest and asked him what his tattoo meant. When he told me that the black wings represented the Angel of Chaos, I started asking about her. That's what lead me here. I must say, I'm surprised that you are the one pulling the strings in this town. But, if you're wondering if you should move your head quarters, no. You don't need to move," Gamma said. Engel sat back in her rickety chair and surveyed the soldier before her. Gamma had always been regarded as the most handsome in his squad, and there were even rumors that Queen Aria loved him. The death of the Giglio Nero king in the war against the Shimon, reported three days after the birth of Uni, was speculated to be the catalyst for their relationship. Of course, they were only rumors, but Engel could see why the Queen had been drawn to this suave general. She sighed and bowed her head.

"What have you come here to say?" she asked. He sighed and pulled out a letter. This normally wouldn't make anyone freeze or scream, unless they're being sarcastic, but Engel recognized the seal. "Queen Aria? She can still issue orders?" she breathed, disbelief rolling off her in waves.

"That was much my initial reaction. Read it," Gamma said, flicking the innocent looking letter onto the desk. Engel picked it up with trembling hands and slowly opened it.

"_'A storm gathers to the south. Harry the Sky.'_ Wow. That's... cryptic," the girl commented. Gamma snorted.

"That's the point of underground messages. They are encoded so that if intercepted they are not understood. This is actually quite to the point. The Prince de la Vongola is wreaking havoc in the south and moving ever closer to the palace. Aria wants me to irritate Byakuran, make him sloppy, divided. You can help me with this. Step up your rebellion and draw soldiers loyal to the Millefore to Namimori. Create disturbances, attack stores and businesses that bare _his_ crest, disrupt the flow of _his_ trade. In short, make Namimori a paperwork factory and a den of problems. You up for it?" he asked. Engel grinned a grin that promised trouble.

"I'm not called 'Angel of Chaos' for nothing, Captain Gamma. You'll have your den of problems, just promise me that _your_ men don't hurt us and you don't raid our base of operations, or regret what you have asked _too_ badly," she said. He grinned a similar, yet slightly creepier, grin back and stood, holding out his hand.

"You have a deal. Any who are loyal to the Giglio Nero shall not harm you or your followers, just be sure you come up with a mark or calling card so we don't hunt you down out of irritation and a primal urge for battle."

"Oh, you'll know who's Rebel and who's not. After all, I'm the Angel of Chaos," Engel replied, her grin seeming to grow just a tad bit more foreboding. Gamma nodded and left, telling himself that he wasn't _scared_ by the girl. No, he wasn't scared. He was just confident that she would do as she promised. And if he told his men to look out for grinning red headed females bearing black angel wings somewhere on their body, it wasn't because he was scared of what the girl would do should they detain her. No, never that. As the captain left, Engel was already plotting her next move. She knew Namimori wouldn't be enough to draw all of Byakuran's attention away, or to make him slip up. Grinning, she called for the Keile messenger bird and quickly penned a note to the rebellion leader of the town. _'Momma Lion, a storm is brewing. Captured Sky says, 'harry the north.' Good luck.'_ Engel smirked as the bird went on its way. Oh yes, this was going to be fun with the older woman in on the action.

/*/

Nana smirked as she read the message from Angel of Chaos. Oh yes, this was going to be epic. She quickly penned a return message. _'Copy that, Angel of Chaos. Enjoy the show,'_ she wrote and chuckled as the bird flew away. She then spread the word in her underground to step up the rebellion and draw Byakuran's attention away from the south. Messages sent and plots laid, Nana cloaked herself in Mist Flames and went to a business she knew was loyal to Byakuran and pulled out a long, shinning sword. Grinning a slasher grin, teeth flashing in the setting sun under the hood of her illusionary cloak, she cut a message into the wall. _'Marshmallows taste best when roasted.'_ Still grinning madly, Nana packed the cuts with a flammable substance then lit it. Chuckling at the flaming words, the woman faded into the deepening shadows as soldiers came swarming down the street. She watched with a manic grin as they stared at the burning words. The leader of the patrol swallowed heavily.

"Sir?" asked one of the other soldiers.

"We need to inform the Captain. The rebellion has made its first move. And someone put out that fire!" he said. Nana snickered from her hiding place.

"Sorry soldier boy, but that flame isn't going to be so easily doused," she said before heading to another point to stir up some more trouble for the False King. By the next day, the whole town was on edge from the more aggressive 'demonstrations' of rebellion. Several businesses were marked with the same message, the guardhouse had been splattered with roasted marshmallows, all coffee in the newly formed Soldier's Quarter had vanished to be replaced with green tea, cakes were replaced with saltine crackers, swords had been stolen, armor had been scored and scorched, windows shattered, boots filled with imitation smores, and when the captain sat in his seat, hoping that no more disturbances would crop up at lunch time, he found that his seat had been coated in fly paper and his favorite pen was missing. How the rebellion knew it was his favorite was beyond him. Perhaps they had simply snatched a pen at random from his desk, maybe it was an inside job, it didn't matter. He was at his wit's end.

"That's it, Rebellion. The gloves are off and it. Is. ON!" he shouted, snapping his pencil as he stared at the paperwork before him. How had they managed to turn the governor into a walking, roasted, marshmallow? And why were most of these... _demonstrations_... revolving around marshmallows and roasting? Okay, he could see the fire, but marshmallows? Why? He groaned and resigned himself to a day of impossibilities and head aches. Not to mention nonsensical reports to the King. There was a muffled explosion outside the Station and a cry of 'ROASTED MARSHMALLOWS!? _ANGAIN?!_' The captain fell forward onto his desk. Oh yes, it was going to be a very, _very_ long day. Well, more like couple of months. Poor guy.

/*/

While the captain of Keile was bemoaning his fate, Gamma wasn't really faring much better. Sure the Rebellion wasn't targeting him, but they were still doing a fine job of tormenting him. In fact, they were doing much the same thing as Nana in Keile. And, as Engel had promised, those loyal to Aria and the Vongolian Prince knew who was in the Rebellion. They wore orange, had feathers or wings on them somewhere, and greeted people by saying 'chaos.' Honestly, it was a wonder the other soldiers didn't pick up on it. Then again, not all of them had orange, not all of them had feathers or wings, and some of them would greet people normally. Still, it was pretty obvious. Gamma sighed and snuck into their headquarters again, kicking open Engel's office door. "What, Gamma? Has one of my agents gone overboard?" the red haired beauty asked from her desk. Gamma glared.

"Don't act innocent with me, Chaos Angel. Did you really need to encourage _this_ much disorder? You're torturing me and my men!" he growled. Engel sighed, rubbing her temples in a futile attempt to relieve the building headache.

"Gamma, you asked for this, or have you forgotten? We are attempting to draw Byakuran's attention away from the Vongolian Prince and his Pillars as they forge ever farther south. Let us not forget that there have been rumors that they are having to fight the Varia on the way to prove their worth. That would draw quite a bit of attention. Not to mention that Byakuran is likely jumping at shadows by now. If we don't do something drastic Byakuran is bound to write us off and focus more on the growing threat coming his way and likely cutting a swath through the countryside as it goes. If you can't handle this, why don't you contact Keile and see what's going on there? I'm sure the Captain there is having a worse time than you, since Momma Lion doesn't have anyone loyal to the Vongola or the Giglio Nero kingdoms in the Guard that she has to protect from the fires of rebellion. Honestly, be glad it was you who asked me to step it up and not Momma. Just imagine what would have happened to you and your men then, Lightning Gamma," the young woman said calmly and levelly, though Gamma knew she must be wishing she could yell at him. Gamma bowed his way out, thinking that he really was lucky to have the ear of the Angel of Chaos and wondering if the rumors of Prince Tsunayoshi fighting the Varia were true. Surely they weren't. The Varia had always stood behind the King. Then again, with Xanxus at the helm anything was bound to happen. Though, there was one thing you could count on Xanxus for; blood, and a lot of it.

/*/

Tsuna glared at the man before them. His hair looked like he had been electrocuted, he wore a long black leather coat with a maroon shield with _'Varia'_ written on a scroll and a clam beneath the scroll on the right sleeve, nearly small enough to be missed. Dark brown pants and solid black boots showed under the long coat while the half moon handles of six custom made parabolas peered over his shoulders. The man's eyes were narrow, his lips overly large, and a lightning bolt was tattooed directly underneath the middle of his mouth while three rings pierced his left eyebrow and the middle of his lower lip was also pierced by a ring, which was connected by a long chain to the third ring in his eyebrow. The black gloves the man wore topped off the ensemble and served as protection from the electricity that flowed through his parabolas. Leviathan was known for his ruthlessness, blind loyalty, use of electric attacks, and his position as the Thunder Pillar of the Varia. "You are not going to fight Lambo, Leviathan. I won't allow it. The boy is too young to face you and you know it," Tsuna told the man. Leviathan unconsciously flinched at the prince's tone. He had never heard such steel in the brunette's voice. He had never really interacted with the fragile looking brunette before, favoring the much more imposing and terrifying Xanxus, but he had developed a fix on the boy's personality and they had talked occasionally. Now, all his perceptions of the young prince were shattered. However, he had a job to do and he'd be screwed if he didn't complete it. Xanxus was not someone you wanted mad at you. Ever.

"I have my orders, Prince Tsunayoshi. Stand aside and let us get this over with," Leviathan said, trying to keep a menacing air in the face of the amber eyed glare of the Prince of Vongola. Tsuna growled in the back of his throat, then he remembered something. Grinning like a jackal, he gave a mock bow, his head cocked, as he went to his pack.

"I knew saving these weapons would be a good idea. Imagine my surprise when I found this little beauty stuck in Lambo's afro. Seems the rumors of the Bovino Familia possessing technology light-years ahead of everyone else was true," the still grinning prince said as he pulled out a strange purple tube. Lambo looked at the weapon Tsuna held in his hands and paled.

"WHY DID YOU KEEP THAT!? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW DANGEROUS THAT THING IS?!" Lambo shrieked. Tsuna only grinned wider.

"Of course. I saw its effects first hand. You got shot with it while you were asleep. Your counterpart explained in full, and he had a manic gleam in his eye as well. I think it's time to show why. Say hey to the future for me, Lambo," the prince said, shooting the boy with the strange weapon. When the strangely pink smoke cleared, a fifteen year old stood in the five year old's place. "Leviathan is attacking. Fight for your ring. Please win," Tsuna said quickly, pointing at the confused man standing not far away. The newly arrived teen smirked.

"Roger, Sire," he said lazily as he drew out a pair of yellow horns and attached them to his head in a rather unrealistic way. "Thunder Set!" he called, lightning immediately striking his horns. "Sorry about this, Levi, but I only have four minutes and I kind of need that ring to beat Byakuran. Electric Charge!" The nimble fifteen year old quickly charged up his horns, adding in Lightning Flames to make a shield between himself and Leviathan, and charged. Startled by the youth's speed, Leviathan barely managed to dodge the attack. As it was, his left arm was grazed, making it go limp and unresponsive as the nerves were supercharged and, for lack of a better term, shorted out.

_'Man but that kid's fast!'_ Leviathan thought as he tried to put distance between himself and the teen. Lambo grinned at him.

"Not too bad, Levi, but you'll have to do better than that. Sorry, but I need to wrap this up. I'm running out of time," he said, before kicking a stick between Leviathan's feet and tripping him. Once the man was on the ground, Lambo quickly charged his fist with Lightning Flames and punched him at just the right spot with just enough charge to paralyze him for a little while but allow speech. Then, in a puff of still pink smoke, five year old Lambo reappeared.

"Where did you put the Thunder Ring, Leviathan?" Tsuna asked, knowing Lambo wouldn't know to ask. Leviathan grimaced, but knew he couldn't go against the rules of the 'competition.'

"My front left pocket," he spit. Tsuna nodded and retrieved the Ring.

"As much as I hate to drag anyone into this, Lambo, I have to ask. Would you be my Thunder Pillar?" he asked. Lambo smiled.

"If it means that I get to live with Tsuna-sama, I accept." Tsuna sighed, exasperated, but handed the ring to the boy with sad eyes.

"You did the right thing, Tsuna. I'm sure you knew, the moment you picked him up, that this would happen," Hayato said. Tsuna snorted.

"Not exactly. I just knew that he needed a family. I may not be the best role model in the world, but I dare say I'm a fair shade better than what he had before. You know, I consider you all my family. You all know me better than anyone, just like I know you. It makes this life just a little bit brighter, don't you think?" he said, turning to the others with a weary smile on his fair lips. They all gave their equivalent of a smile in return. "Thanks, for sticking with me despite the danger," Tsuna said with a small bow. They continued on their way after dragging Leviathan under a tree where he could rest in slightly more comfort than where he had been neutralized. It took the group another three days to get to the small town of Onorare. News floated on the air like seaweed on the ocean. Attacks by rebels in Keile and Namimori. Angels of Chaos and Lion Mommas, or was it Momma Lions? Marshmallow related shenanigans, flypapered captains, chocolate syrup, disrupted trade, governors turning to s'mores, fires that couldn't be doused, crimes that weren't exactly crimes, gangs that weren't exactly gangs, soldiers that had turned on the king and proclaimed loyalty to Giglio Nero or Vongola, coffee going missing, cakes being stolen, arms and armor being damaged or stolen in the night, and at the heart of it all was the Angel of Chaos and Momma Lion. Hearing the stories, Tsuna couldn't help but grin. "The ladies of Vongola are bearing their teeth. I'm guessing Aria found a way to contact either Engel or mom and they collaborated to draw Byakuran's attention to their little towns. The Governor of Keile had to be mom, and possibly the flypapered captain. It just seems like mom's style. I had to get it from somewhere, right? As for the Angel... Engel. 'Nuff said. Say, I wonder if there's a rebel group here I could use to get a message into the underground, tell them how I appreciate the offer, and who to avoid," Tsuna said to his 'family' once they were at the inn. Chrome cleared her throat and the prince turned to her.

"I can find the leader for the rebels here, Sire," she said. Tsuna smiled at her.

"Please do, Chrome. When you find the leader, let me know. I'll work on what I'll say while you search. But for now, let's get some rest. We all need it," he said, commanding that immediate action be taken. And so, they all laid down for a good night's sleep.

/*/

The next day, Chrome was gone when the boys woke up. Tsuna asked the man at the counter if he had seen a female with haired shaped like Mukuro's in the early morning. The man said she had left just as the sun rose. He was used to people leaving at that hour, most of his guests being travelers who just wanted a night of comfort before heading out again, but the girl had struck him as odd. Tsuna thanked the man and went out into the town. As they walked, Tsuna found that more and more people began looking at him oddly. Sighing, Tsuna turned into an alley as though he were going back to the inn, but really just asked Mukuro to cast an illusion on the prince to make him invisible. Mukuro, contrary to what the other expected, actually did as he was requested. After that, it was just the fact that there were three hot guys and a cute little boy that drew attention to the group. At noon they stopped at a small family restaurant. When they ordered an extra meal, the waitress gave them a curious look. "We're expecting another person," Hayato said as Tsuna's mouthpiece. Nodding, the woman left and Tsuna turned to Mukuro who made an illusion of Tsuna walking in the front door and sitting where the real Tsuna was, then dispelled both illusions. As their food was served, Chrome walked in with another guy, spotted them, and joined them.

"Will you be ordering as well?" the server asked. Chrome shook her head even as Tsuna said,

"She'll have the same as me, ma'am. And he'll have the same as my silver haired friend." The server nodded and jotted it down. Chrome gave her Prince a look, to which he replied with a stern glare. "You need to eat, Chrome. I won't have one of my friend's fainting from lack of food. Now, you, why are you with our dear Chrome?" the prince said, overruling any and all objections to him ordering for the two.

"She approached me about the Angel of Chaos, saying she knew her personally. Is it true?" the boy said. Tsuna sighed.

"Informant. No good. We're informants as well so this whole meeting is counterproductive. However, I insist that you eat with us. We can compare notes," he said, shifting into double agent mode easily.

"Well, what do you know of the rebellion?" the young man asked. Tsuna sighed.

"Only what the rumors say. What do you know of the prince?" he said, leaning back as if disappointed though he was pleased with the level of secrecy around the rebellion and its leaders.

"I heard he's headed back south, to the palace to fight Byakuran. They say he has his Pillars and is training in the woods, fighting the Varia for the rings that signify their positions. I even heard that the Prince was sighted in Keile, though it's only a rumor. Most people don't even know what the guy looks like. However, the guy I heard it from, he heard it from a guy who could sense Flames. He said there was this kid with crazy strong Sky Flames walking with this lady who had Mist Flames all around her body. He vanished a day after he told my informant. I think he confronted the lady and got offed, but that's just me. Honestly, I think this Prince guy is just a load of..." the young man began, but before he could finish what he thought of the prince, Takeshi had his sword resting on his cheek.

"Open your mouth and I'll see to it that you lose your disrespectful tongue, Marshmallow Spy," the usually easy-going baseball player said, his voice cold and his eyes hard. The man froze and Tsuna sighed.

"Thank you, Takeshi, for threatening a fairly innocent man over an _irrelevant_ comment," he said, sending a deadly glare at his friend. Takeshi faltered a moment, but didn't pull back his sword.

"He was..."

"Stating an opinion, Takeshi. Isn't everyone entitled to one? There will always be someone with an opinion differing from your own, but that is hardly a reason to cut their tongue out, Takeshi. And here I thought you were my more sane friend. I see I was wrong. Ah~ What a shame!" Tsuna said, shifting into 'Prince mode' and giving his friend a disapproving look. Takeshi shuddered slightly in the face of his Prince's wrath, but kept his sword where it was.

"Even so..."

"Let. It. Go, Takeshi. I wasn't offended," Tsuna said, his eyes flashing. Takeshi swallowed heavily and sheathed his sword.

"As you wish," the raven haired swordsman said, bowing slightly to the clearly displeased brunette whose killing aura was only detectable by those who knew him. Takeshi sat back down and sat on his hands, attempting to get them to stop shaking due to his fear of Tsuna. '_Man, who knew I'd get that sacred of him when he's just sitting there? I nearly fainted!_' Takeshi thought, sending Tsuna a glance. The smile was back on his face and he was apologizing to the man as if Takeshi had only insulted him, not threatened to cut out his tongue. The man wasn't taking it that easily. He was white and shaking like a leaf.

"Well, if you have nothing more to say on the matter, I'd have to say that much of your information is wrong. It seems that the Prince has fled. You heard the rumors of a sighting in Namimori right? Isn't that a long way north of here? I also heard that the rebellion surge started there. Wouldn't it make sense for the Prince to be coordinating the rebellion from there? From what I've heard, he was a cowardly boy. Clumsy, slow, dense, shy, dumb, and friendless. The sightings have been few and far between, headed north. The last was in Namimori, but it would take easily twice as long to get here from Namimori than the two months since his last sighting to get this far, factoring in how close all the towns he was seen in were and yet how slowly he went from place to place and him having to fight and train and heal all at the same time. I think you're giving this worthless prince guy way too much credit. I bet he's just hiding under a rock somewhere around the northern border or beyond waiting for all this to blow over, for someone else to win this power struggle," Tsuna said, quickly and ruthlessly planting information that would mislead Byakuran and his men before standing and moving to the door of the restaurant. "Come, my friends, our work here is done. We will stay the night and leave at dawn. We need to find a real connection to the underground by that time. Chrome, you know what to do," he said. They exited, paying for the shaking man's lunch as they did so. Chrome quickly lead them to their real contact, a ten year old with an orange rag tied around his forehead.

"Chaos, travelers. What can I do for you?" he said. Tsuna grinned.

"It would seem you stole my teacher's greeting. Very well, chaos my friend, I came looking for a messenger to the Angel in the north," he said.

"I am a messenger, what is your message?"

"I wish to tell her, 'keep up the good work. How's the Lion?' She'll understand." The boy bowed before he vanished. Tsuna grinned yet again. "Well now, it seems we know how to pick out the rebels. It's so simple and direct, the soldiers wouldn't think of it! These brave souls wear my colors and greet others with my teacher's words. Add feathers for the Angel and there you have it! The markings of a rebel," the prince said. Chrome nodded and the others sighed at the obviousness of it, and the obliviousness of their enemies. The next day there was a message on the on window.

'_Message away. Good luck.'_

"Seems they know our mission. Good work, Chrome," Tsuna said as he flicked the paper to the shy girl. Chrome smiled faintly, pleased by the praise her prince had given her.

/*/

Engel read the message twice before she went to Gamma. "Read this. It came from a town two hundred miles southwest of Keile," she said, handing it to the man. He frowned, but took the note.

_'Northern Stranger and Illusionist send their regards and say, "keep up the good work. How's the Lion?"'_

"What does this mean? Who is Northern Stranger and Illusionist? Lion?" Gamma asked. Engel smirked, leaned in and whispered,

"The Prince has noticed our work and wants us to make it seem as though he is still in the north."

"How can you get that from this?" asked Gamma, amazed at the girl. She chuckled.

"It's just like how me and my people are hiding in plain sight. He as good as said, 'this is the prince. I see what you did. Keep it up, but draw suspicion away from me by making it look like I'm there with you.' This guy is good," she said, her eyes gleaming as she read the note yet again. Gamma sighed and leaned back.

"Yeah. It's no wonder Queen Aria took a liking to young Tsunayoshi. Even as a kid, despite his no-good reputation, he was sharp. In fact, he was sharper than most realized. I think that was why he always looked so hurt. It was because they were telling lies the whole time, but he had begun to believe them. Ya know something, I think this occupation by Byakuran might have backfired on the man. It might have actually killed the no-good prince and awoken the true ruler of the Vongola. I always felt that, somewhere inside that boy, there was a truly fearsome warrior and diplomat. I just hope I live long enough to see that boy... no... that man become king," Gamma said, looking back over the note again. Engel snorted, putting up her feet on one of the other chairs in the guardhouse.

"He already is, he just doesn't know it yet," she said. Gamma smirked at the flame haired teen.

"Are you falling in love with a guy you never met?" he asked. Engel snorted yet again.

"Nah. I fell in love at first sight with a boy a year older than me with the same birthday. Brown hair that defies gravity, eyes like hot chocolate, voice like honey, and a slender build that belied the strength of his being," she said, eyes going soft. Gamma nearly choked on air. She was describing the man he had hoped Tsunayoshi would grow into as the man she fell in love with. Smirking to himself in the privacy of his mind, Gamma decided to let time tell the girl that she was in love with the King of Vongola.

A/N: So... what did you think? Action and secret spy code aren't my strong suits, but I like writing them better than I like writing romance. Anyway, let me know how you liked it and next up: battle of the Storm and what happened to Yuni!


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:**__I own nothing... except a good bit of this plot and a few Ocs.

A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I wanted to get more work done on chapter 15 and then there's school drama and good old fashioned laziness. No excuse I know, but there you have it. Enjoy this next chapter and let me know what you think!

**Chapter 10:** Bel vs. Hayato

He fumed. Byakuran de la Millefore was not a youth known for such action. He was know for being the exact opposite. In fact, he made others fume. Or grow mysterious mushrooms in the corner. No-one knew how those mushrooms grew or where they came from, along with a depressing purple aura with squiggly lines, but Byakuran had a particular talent in making it happen. This time, however, the youth with the strange, pale lavender, spiky hair was positivity _livid_. Keile kept sending him nonsense reports that all had something to do with fire, marshmallows, food, and roasting. And if that wasn't enough, he had to fill out paperwork for it! How do you even do that with such nonsense? Even if Byakuran wasn't known for being the sanest person on the face of the planet, he had trouble with some of the incidents. Governors turning into walking s'mores, roads appearing to shift and rearrange for the soldiers and those loyal to Byakuran himself, fires that couldn't be put out, doors not being where they should be, and soldiers vanishing and then turning up wide eyed and muttering about flaming marshmallows three weeks later were just a few of the strange and impossible things he had to deal with. Then there was the irritating and niggling thought that _the culprits had yet to be caught!_ And _**then**_ he had similar reports coming from Namimori _**and **_Onorare! See, the previously listed nonsensical anomalies were only those in Keile. The rebellion was stepping it up and Byakuran was tempted to send some of his personal forces to those outlaying towns. He growled faintly as another servant came in... carrying another stack of papers. "Those had better not be reports from the northern towns, Mr. Anderson," he hissed, his eyes narrowing dangerously. The gangly black haired young man trembled, tossed the papers at the glaring 'king', and fled for his life. Strangely, the papers all managed to find their way through the air, across the room, onto the desk, and under Byakuran's pen in a perfect pile. Not one of them was upside down or flipped wrong side up. If looks could kill, the papers staring innocently up at him would have spontaneously combusted. From Namimori, the report on top was about how the Prince had ordered a strike on one of the trade routes Byakuran had set up. It didn't hurt the economy or the towns, but it did make Byakuran angry and one step closer to thinning out his guard to deal with the annoying towns. The Prince? What kind of codswallop was that? He had confirmed reports of Prince Tsunayoshi in Keile! With a woman cloaked in Mist Flame at that! It was enough to have the childish teen seething in silence. He had never known Tsunayoshi to be so trick-some, yet here he was, nearly outwitting the trickster king of the century! Aria heard through her contact and grinned.

_'Looks like our dear Marshmallow has bitten off more than he can chew,'_ she thought giddily, though she attempted to school her features and keep some of the triumph off her face. Tsunayoshi's addition simply made her cackle. The boy had learned his lessons well. Very well indeed. The palace trembled at the poorly contained mirth of the Giglio Nero Queen.

/*/

Somewhere in the forest, many miles away from the palace, Tsuna sneezed. "Are you okay, Sire?" asked Hayato worriedly. Tsuna smiled at the young man.

"Yes, Hayato, I am fine. I think it's just someone talking about me. Nothing to worry about, my little silver wolf," the Prince said to the bomber. Hayato flushed slightly, but said nothing as he fell behind the slender, but undoubtedly strong, brunette. Reborn had been displeased with their speed and had so decreed that for the next week they would travel without training. Though, Hayato trained every night and every morning Tsuna lead the group, or those who would stay together and not start fighting or begging for someone to play with him, in Flame control exercises. Their progress from when they had all met was nothing to be ashamed of, but when Belphgore of the Varia attacked the difference in experience and power levels was made painfully clear. Bel used the forested area to his advantage, setting up a knife and wire trap to keep all but one person from the arena and then added to it to slice away at Hayato, limiting his movement and forcing him into hand to hand combat. Hayato, as a bomb expert, was at a high disadvantage inside the trap laid by the so-called 'Prince the Ripper' of the Varia. Then he remembered something that had happened not too long ago when he had managed to draw out his Flame. Gritting his teeth and trying to find the same feeling he had had when the red Storm Flames and appeared, Hayato began to form a plan. He found the wires, then put some of his Flame into the bombs in his hand before screwing hooks into the body of the bombs and throwing them along the wires, igniting the Flames to speed them up. Once the bombs hit, the group saw that there was more damage than just an explosion. The knife user's uniform was not only scorched, but it was still being eaten away. Red Flames danced around the front of his coat and pants, eating away his clothes and skin.

"Never underestimated a man with nothing to lose and everything to gain," Hayato told the burning madman.

"Never underestimate a man whose life depends on victory!" the knife wielder retorted, launching himself at his opponent. Hayato sighed.

"I didn't think I'd ever have to do this," he groaned to himself before delivering a Flame powered punch to the blond's jaw, effectively knocking him out. The red Flames hadn't been strong enough to disintegrate the blond's skin, but it did leave a burn mark. Hayato finally allowed himself to breath heavy as he stalked up to the Varia Storm Pillar and ruffle, none too gently, through the youth's clothes. Finding his prize, Hayato stood with a smirk and held out the red ring toward his chosen King. "Sire, I have recovered the Storm Ring of the Vongola." Tsuna smiled, and pushed it back toward his childhood friend.

"Why do you think I sent _you_ to fight, Hayato? What do you think the significance of those Flames was? You once asked why I wouldn't let you stand by my side, and I had no answer. Now I do. I couldn't, because you weren't ready. Now you are. So take this and stand tall by my side, as my right-hand man," he said, his eyes lightening and beginning to glow ever so softly. Hayato felt hot tears prick at his eyes as he kissed the hand of his friend, his king, his savior.

"Thank you, Sire. I will do my best," he said, emotion thick in his voice. Tsuna let out a light, musical laugh as he drew his friend into a hug.

"I can ask for nothing more, Hayato," the Prince said, tears threatening to spill from his own eyes as his companion cried into his chest. The others examined the fallen Varia member. His bobbed, shaggy, blond hair was in disarray and smeared with blood, his Cheshire and bloodthirsty grin was gone, replaced by a look of shocked pain. His rounded face was still half obscured by his wayward hair and easily half of his Varia uniform was gone, eaten by Hayato's ruby red Storm Flame, and his once pale skin was red and raw from not only the heat, but the disintegration property of his Flame. Belphgore was of an average height... for a sixteen year old. Seriously, didn't the Varia, an _assassination squad _ that preferred to be called secret police, have an age limit? How old was he when he joined? Takeshi shook his head as the thought crossed his mind. There were some questions better left unanswered.

/*/

Belphgore woke up half an hour later with a distorted growl. Darn but that kid could punch! And what was with that Flame control? Had he heard from various informants, who were likely to have mental scarring, about the children having some sort of control, but to have control of his characteristic without realizing that he was chosen as the Storm Pillar? It was almost as if he hadn't known what his Flame was until he was pushed into the fight! Then again, the knife user mused, the brat had needed to be nudged forward by the puppy prince. The prince. Belphgore found that, curiously, he didn't feel disgusted at the thought that someone besides him could be called 'the Prince' like he normally did. And then there was the fact that when he thought about the Heir, he saw that mop of gravity defying brown hair and those knowing, chocolate brown eyes. "Sorry, Boss, but I think the puppy has you beat," the disturbingly grinning blond chuckled, his signature, disturbing, laugh floating softly through the burnt clearing. And that was how Leviathan and Lussuria found the 'prince.' Grinning and laughing while sitting under a tree, nursing his various burns.

"Mou~ You look terrible, Bel~! Let Big Sis Luss take care of those nasty burns, m'kay?" the flamboyant man with the tri-colored Mohawk sang.

"Ushishishi~! Boss got beat. The puppy will be crowned the King," the blond grinned. Leviathan glared.

"What do you mean? Boss _will _be king. We all swore..." he began, only to be cut off by Bel.

"Ka'ching! The Ripper has found his next target!" Leviathan barely dodged the knife hurled at him by the burned youth. "Oh? Has the weakest link gotten slower?"

"It was that cow brat. The puppy shot him with some strange gun thing and then he shocked me with his Lightning Flame. It's not my fault that my limbs haven't 'reset' fully," he grumbled.

"Mou~! Levi, you should have told me!" cooed Lussuria, sashaying up to the loyal-to-a-fault Lightning Pillar of the Varia.

"Stay away from me you freaky queer!" yelled Levi, attempting to run from the effeminate man. Unfortunately, he hadn't fully recovered from the paralyzing effect of the electricity that had been pushed through his body and so was caught rather easily. Running from a Mhuy Thai fighter at roughly the speed of a six year old wasn't the easiest thing to do and for Levi, it proved to be impossible. He was forced to suffer the humiliation of having the Sun Pillar of the Varia sing to him, badly and off key, while tying him up and then pouring his Sun Flame into him. Due to the activation characteristic of the Sun Flame, Levi's hair and nails all grew several inches.

"Ushishishi~ Does the lapdog need a trim?" the sadistically grinning blond asked from under his tree. Levi paled and tried to run yet again. He was met with marginally more success. He forgot about the wires Bel had used in his previous fight. "Ushishishi~ Looks like the ugly lapdog got his trim after all. Ushishishi~!" the blond cackled.

"Bel~! Sit tight and I'll fix you right up!" Lussuria sang. The grin was wiped from Bel's face while Levi began to chuckle himself. Oh, how misery loves company.

/*/

A member of the Angels of Chaos group heard the screams of Belphgore, known as one of the most pain resistant members of the Varia, and felt mixed feelings. Part of him was glad, knowing that it meant the Prince now had the Storm Ring, and part of him was fearful of what could have caused the most mentally unstable Varia member to scream in such agony. He shook his head and quickly made his way to his hawk coop where he quickly wrote a note to his 'boss.' _'The Ripper screams in the forest, the Lion proudly walks. Once again, the Truth comes out.'_ He nodded to himself, knowing only the Angels would know what he meant, and sent it off to the rebellion in Namimori. Engel received the note and grinned a manic grin.

"I know what that means. You're up to no good again, aren't you?" one of the men on the street said as she walked downtown to her favorite bakery.

"Why, whatever do you mean, sir?" she asked, her eyes going wide and 'innocent' while her pixie grin stayed in place.

"I mean you're planning something missy, and I intend to find out," the man said. She shook her head.

"Oh no sir. Quite the opposite. I just got news that my favorite circus is back in the kingdom! Too bad they won't be coming to Namimori. Now that Hibari-san is out of town, I was hoping we could get some real entertainment, but it seems that the circus owner doesn't want to risk it. After all, Hibari-san could simply be out training and could come back at any moment. And who would want our Officer of Discipline to return in the middle of a loud circus?" she said. The man blanched at the thought and promptly left. Engel chuckled to herself as she finished her cake run. '_Too easy! I'm glad the grunts of that Marshmallow are so easy to give the run around to_,' the teen thought as she munched on her cake. Gamma slid into the seat across from her.

"Circus, Engel? Really? You sent a man running to the Guardhouse afraid that Hibari would 'bite him to death,'" the Captain said, clearly bemused.

"He said he was going to find out what I was up to. So I told him about my favorite 'circus,'" Engel said, giving air quotes to the word 'circus.'

"Holy firecrackers Engel! Did you have to go so far? And how could a _circus_ of all things scare a man that much?" Gamma exclaimed. Engel chuckled into her coco.

"Oh, my dear Gamma, it wasn't the _circus_ that scared the man, it was the thought of _Hibari_ coming back _during_ the circus that scared him. Never underestimate the intimidation power of Hibari-sama, Sir Gamma," the red haired youth said seriously, though her pixie grin was back in full force. Gamma shivered.

"Remind me to never get on your bad side. I'd hate to find out what you'd use against me," he said, sitting back. Engel chuckled darkly.

"Oh, it depends on what you do. If I ever got near Byakuran... well. Let us just say that he'd never want to be within ten meters of a single marshmallow ever again." Gamma shrank back further. Engel Hertz was a force to be reckoned with, from afar or up close, it didn't matter. She'd have you running for cover within minutes, if she had the chance. "Any word from the Sky?" she asked, sipping her coco.

"Yes. She says, _'Looks like our dear Marshmallow has bitten off more than he can chew.'_ I'd take that to mean we are doing our job well. Though, I must admit, you and your 'angels' have me wishing I could quit my job," Gamma said. Engel laughed.

"Well, we have to make it realistic, don't we?" she asked, her emerald eyes dancing with pixie lights.

"I could do with it being a little less so, but you have a point," Gamma sighed. Engel laughed again, but this time with more bitterness.

"This is a war, Gamma. It may not be the same as any other battles or wars you've been in, but it is a war nonetheless. I fight by following old rules, but also by following orders from a captive queen. Now, you do the same. Do not hate me, Gamma, for I am but a soldier," she said, putting her slender hand on his arm. Gamma sighed again before he smiled wanly at the young woman.

"One day at a time, yeah?"

"One day at a time," Engel agreed, her old, wolfish, grin reappearing on her pale face. After she returned to her 'office' from the restaurant where she met with Gamma, Engel sent a message to Momma Lion. _'Captured Sky says the Marshmallow has bitten off more than he can chew.'_ As the bird flew off, Engel sighed and turned back to the road leading to her thankless home.

"So there you are, you worthless scrap of a girl! Where have you been?! You were supposed to be back hours ago! Was it that boy? Did he try to..." Engel shook her head and proceeded to ignore her foster mother. Grabbing an apple, the red head bounced upstairs to her room and closed the door.

"Like you care about _me_. All you care about is if I can do my chores and make you look good to the outside world. What would you do, I wonder, if I stopped covering for you? What would you do if I told Gamma about the abuse you hand to me on a daily basis? I'm sure you'd change your tune when the spear of the Giglio Nero Lightning Pillar was put to your throat," she muttered as she stared out the window and thought about the one person who had made her feel like he actually cared. Then, unbidden, the image of his melancholy eyes came back to her. His sad and weary voice telling her things were going to get hectic while his warm, chocolate brown eyes looked deep into her own with a resigned sadness beyond his years. "Oh Tsuna, how right you were. Are you safe now, wherever you are? Are you happy now? Or is that same, world-weary sadness dripping from your words and dulling your eyes?" she asked helplessly of the sky. She thought she heard a whisper on the wind. A whisper that said, with laughter underscoring the words, _'Don't worry so much, my Brave Angel.'_ She gasped and the feeling of strong, warm arms wrapping around her was gone. She didn't notice the orange glow around her hand, the hand Tsuna had held, caressed, and kissed softly when no-one was looking.

/*/

Tsuna turned away from the north and sighed as he looked into the fire. Why was he thinking of her? That spunky yet dense red head he had met in Namimori had just popped into his head. He had been in a melancholy mood when his little cake break with her came to mind. Thinking of when he told her things were going to be intense he sighed again. Then a wry smile came to his face. 'I was right, wasn't I?' he thought humorlessly as he gazed into the fire. Then he thought of when she told him he was right to leave his home, and how he should stop being so sad. He chuckled and looked back to the north, his Flame unconsciously flaring as he pictured her. Somehow, he knew she was worrying about him. He smirked, a little more humor in the expression, as well as fond affection. "Don't worry so much, my Brave Angel," he whispered to the wind, laughter dancing in his eyes as he imagined holding the girl tightly, yet lovingly, as he would Lambo. Then he felt a response in his Flame, like a gasp, and he let go of the image of Engel as though a spell had been broken. He shook his head and focused back on the fire. Reborn watched as his student had shuffled about the fire, glancing first down, then up to the north, and then back down at the fire again. When Tsuna had spoken, Reborn noticed the glow around one of the prince's hands. A glow that only came when a Royal used their Flame to speak with someone they had formed a bond with. From the look on Tsuna's face when he shook his head, the contact had been unconscious. The assassin smirked, shadowing his face with the brim of his fedora.

"You've grown up a lot, Dame-Tsuna, but you still have a long way to go," the assassin said before leaving his students to their rest and venturing into the dark forest. He had meant to simply find his own little clearing, maybe with a nice little rock in it for him to sit on, but he found something completely different.

"Hello Reborn," a silky, sultry voice called to the wandering child. Reborn froze. He knew that voice. That was the voice that had changed him, figuratively and literally.

"Ceilo," he said gruffly, or as gruffly as he could as a one year old with a high squeaky voice. The woman came into the pale moonlight, her raven wing hair flashing silver and her full mouth curving into a knowing, yet wry, smile. She was of an average height and a modest figure, but what stood out most about her was her eyes. They glowed orange with a ring of the deepest blue around her pupil.

"You have been doing well, my friend," the woman said. Reborn scoffed.

"I haven't been able to help your daughter, or your granddaughter. How have I been doing well, Luce?" he asked. The woman sighed and sank to sit on a log.

"You have drawn out the Flame in Tsunayoshi, helped the Prince find his Pillars, drawn out their Flames, and delivered the weapons to their wielders, and then trained the warriors to use those weapons. You do not carry the title 'world's greatest tutor' for nothing, Ghrian," Luce said. Reborn sighed, but knew he could not retort. She had used his true name.

"Did you know that the boy knows, Luce? He called me by my full name, and not Reborn Chaos either," he said instead, hoping it would draw out an amusing response, just like all the other times he had caught the woman off guard.

"Yes, I did know."

"Why didn't you tell me?" the assassin asked in indignation. Luce smiled softly at the slightly ruffled tone to Reborn's words.

"Because he found out on his own, through his own power, and it was his choice to use what he knew, and his choice to tell what he knew. The boy is strong, Ghrian, and you know it, possibly better than anyone, and his judgment is not to be taken lightly. Trust the Prince, Ghrian, and maybe you can find a way to lighten the burden you carry. The burden we all carry, as the Acrobaleno," she said, placing a hand on the assassin's arm. He sighed and looked into her eyes, drinking in the sight of her.

"Can we at least help your granddaughter, Luce?" She laughed at the near childish pleading tone, but bowed her head and kept her amusement to herself.

"No. The Angels will take care of it. But I do know where she is." Reborn saw her eyes cloud over slightly, but gripped her hand tightly, encouraging her to tell. When she did, he almost wished she hadn't.

/*/

Yuni was scared. Actually, that was an understatement. She was _terrified_. Bone chilling terror held her in its thrall and nothing could stop her shivering. It stared, unmoving. Yuni de la Giglio Nero was a strong girl, but there was only so much a two year old could handle. And a giant, unblinking, unmoving, shockingly white monkey staring at her was too much. Why did those men in the white coats have to stick her in this dark room with that thing? She was a good girl! She ate her vegetables! So why was she in here, in the dark and the cold and the damp? "Tsu-nii, where are you?" she whimpered, almost inaudible, to the cold and dark silence of her cell. The door creaked open and the man who had taken her from her room nearly a year before came in, his grin making her skin crawl almost as much as the white monkey in the corner.

"Hello my pet," he cooed to the monkey, stroking its fur. The creature didn't move a muscle as the man's hand ran down its back. Yuni did her best impersonation of her mother's glare. It turned out more utterly adorable than coolly scathing. "Haha! The little princess thinks she can scare my with her cute little pout? Wrong, little baby," the man said, and he prodded the monkey closer. Yuni gasped in fear and tried to move farther away from the creature. She couldn't tell you why she was scared of the thing, but something about its eyes made her feel like it was going to eat her soul. The man laughed, a sound more than enough to make the little girl wish she could go deaf.

"Uncle Reborn, save me!" she screamed. The man laughed harder, then left. Yuni whispered a quiet 'thank you' to the black coated man who called the other out soon after his laughter increased. He gave the sad little princess an equally sad look.

"I'm sorry, Princessa. If I could get you out I would, but I fear we both would die should I try. And my presence might just be the only thing keeping _him_," the word was said with such venom Yuni half expected his spit to burn the wall in front of him, "from harming you." Yuni gave him an understanding look, far more mature than any two year old should appear.

"It good, Roul," she said softly. Roul sighed, but nodded and returned to guarding her. His white coated partner scowled, but said nothing. Even he found the monkey unnerving, and he found the girl to be simply adorable.

"For once, I agree with you, Giglio Nero scum," he said, trying to hide the fact that he was losing confidence in his kingdom. Roul shot a knowing look at his partner. He knew that Yuni was working her own brand of magic on the man. It was only a matter of time before one of them would have to be removed lest they say, 'Forget this I'm busting that adorable bundle of Royal cuteness out of here!' and did something stupid. Yuni had that effect on people. Her mother had been able to do nearly the same thing, only there were a few... _adult_ thoughts thrown in there as well for the Queen. Roul shook his head with an inaudible sigh.

"There is a lot you could agree with me on, you just don't know it yet," he said, then pointedly turned away. His partner snorted, though he knew that Roul was right. He just didn't want to admit it. Yuni heard their quiet exchange, but knew better than to say something. She sighed quietly to herself and kept an eye on the monkey. Though, truth be told, it was too big to be a monkey and too small to be an ape. In fact, the more Yuni stared at the thing, the more unreal it became. Suddenly, she gasped and moved to the door.

"Roul, monkey no breathe," she said. Roul discreetly looked over his shoulder at the offending monkey. With a wild grin, he looked back at his charge.

"That's a Giglio Nero for you! Keep looking and see what else you can find, my princess," he said, a conspiratorial gleam in his eyes. She smiled, feeling a bit more brave, before she returned to her cowering position, still a little put off by the unnatural creature. The evilly smiling monkey man in the white coat returned three days later.

"Hello, our little doll. What can you tell me about a certain Prince?" he said, the oil in his voice making Roul want to toss a torch in front of him to see if the air would burn from it.

"Monkey," Yuni 'managed' to mutter out. Even the White Spell guard had to give her some credit. She was an excellent actress for a two-year old. And unnervingly smart too. The monkey man sighed and waved his pet out. Roul opened the door for it and sneered when he saw it dissolve once it was out of the girl's line of sight.

"Now, tell me about Prince Tsunayoshi!" the Mist user growled at the girl. Yuni blinked, acting as though she didn't know what the man was saying. Her guards were fighting to hold back their chuckles as the Mist Unit Interrogator glared at her furiously and leaned in closer, even going so far as to slam his hands down on the ground in front of her. "I know you know him! You cry out for him almost every time I come! NOW TELL ME ABOUT HIM!"

"Tsu-nii?" Yuni asked quietly. The man sighed, relaxing as he perceived that they were making progress.

"Yes, him. What can you tell me about him? Where would he hide, who would he go to, what could he be seeking?" he asked. Yuni tilted her head. "Who are his friends?"

"Tsu-nii has no friends. Tsu-nii is sad. Tsu-nii isn't fun when he's sad, so Tsu-nii made no friends. Yuni no like sad face. Yuni sang for Tsu-nii, made Tsu-nii smile again. Yuni loves Tsu-nii, but not sad Tsu-nii. Will you find Tsu-nii for me?" she said, making it sound like she was very simple. Roul was proud, though he wished the ruse were unnecessary.

"Yes. I want to find Tsu-nii. However, I can't unless you tell me where he is, where he would hide."

"Tsu-nii likes the kitchens. Cupboards too. Gardens and ponds. Tsu-nii shows Yuni fish. You like fish? Tsu-nii like fish," Yuni babbled. The man sighed and left, motioning for the monkey to return to watch the girl. Roul felt his jaw clench as the Mist Flames created the monkey out of sight. How dare they use illusions on _his_ baby girl! He stopped himself and sighed inwardly. She wasn't his. She was Aria's, the Queen's, and the only one who could claim her as his would be Gamma. But Gamma was many miles away in the dangerous northern city of Namimori, home of the infamous Hibari. No-one knows his full name, just his surname, and that they fear above all else. Not even Byakuran can scare the people of Namimori. Roul sighed again, a little less to himself than he would have liked. This train of thought would get him no-where and he knew it, but all the same. A little shake of the head and he stood at attention as his 'superior' passed him. His partner snorted.

"They thought they could get something useful from a two-year old who's been confined for nearly a year? And why keep the daughter here? Why not Aria? Surely she would have more pertinent information than the child," he said. Roul shook his head.

"Byakuran is one sick, twisted, individual, that much is clear," he said. His partner simply nodded his head. What else could he do when he agreed wholeheartedly?

/*/

Byakuran sneezed. Aria snickered. Half of the guards smirked. "Ara ara! Sounds like someone is speaking ill about you, Byakuran. Perhaps you should send out your soldiers to silence them," Aria said snidely. Byakuran glared, dark bags under his eyes standing out in sharp relief against his deathly pale skin. "My! You look ghastly! Have you been sleeping any? If you need an ear, I'll listen. I know the pressures of ruling a kingdom are heavy. I can only imagine what ruling three must be like," she continued in a rather condescending tone, her smile clearly telling Byakuran his current suffering was all his doing.

"Mind your own business witch," he snarled before brushing past her and into his office. He hadn't known why his father had an office until six months ago when he was swamped by so many reports he would have gotten a sore back if he did it all in his throne, not to mention he might have frozen. He growled at the mound of paperwork in his office and waded to his desk. Picking up his pen, he settled in for a long day of reading, signing, and stewing over the rebels who produced eight ninths of the paper in the room. As he read over his tenth item for the day, he tried to shake the thought that Aria was just outside the door, laughing at him. Once again he found himself wondering at the wisdom of keeping her at the palace and her daughter with the Mist Interrogation Unit. Shaking the thought from his head and reminded himself that a child's mind is easier to enter than an adult. '_Especially if said adult is Queen Aria de la Giglio Nero,_' Byakuran thought as he signed yet another paper. It was midnight when Byakuran woke up with a sheet of paper stuck to his face. He groaned as he pulled it off before he stumbled to his room.

"Still think this was a good idea, Marshmallow Boy?" Aria asked from a dark corner. It was a testament to his exhaustion that Byakuran didn't jump.

"De la Giglio Nero," he muttered with a faint bow. Aria snorted.

"There hasn't been a Giglio Nero since you breezed in almost a year ago and took over. Perhaps you are thinking that I still have control of Giglio Nero? It would explain the bow and the title," she said, mixing harsh with breezy and confounding Byakuran even further.

"You are a witch. I can only hope your daughter is not, for her sake," he said before collapsing on his bed, asleep before he even knew he was falling. Aria sighed, but decided to let it go for the night. There wasn't much she could do with a passed out tyrant after all. She swept out of the room, leaving the spiky haired youth as he had fallen, and was met by her unlikely ally.

"Shoichi! To what do I owe the pleasure?" she asked cordially.

"Don't you think it's a little harsh, having absolutely all the paperwork go directly to Byakuran? I mean, when this was run by the Vongolas, at least half of the papers were handled by heads and the Pillars. Right now, it is as if the heads are incompetent and the Pillars non-existent," the nervous red-head said. Aria smiled sweetly.

"The heads are Vongola, they want to cause trouble. The Pillars don't know their responsibilities, this is because of Byakuran's ignorance and youth so I see no problem. Byakuran is unfair and wants little more than marshmallows and millions of people bowing down before him. Allowing the fruits of his selfishness and ignorance wear on him is just punishment," she said. Shoichi shook his head at the Queen, but did not comment. He knew what she meant, and he knew Byakuran would see as well. Should he live to see the new year, that was.

"Good night, Queen Aria. I'll see you in the morning," he said, turning off to go to his lab. He may have been one of Byakuran's favorite generals, but he was a technician at heart and he had a few toys he was working on that were far ahead of their time. About thirty or so years to be a bit more exact. He was working on something he called a calculator with his friend Spanner. Spanner was a mechanic from the Millefore kingdom that had told the red head what he could do to make his pet project run better. They had worked together, and been good friends, ever since.

"Hello, Shoichi. What will we be doing tonight?" asked Spanner as the red-headed general walked in. Shoichi grinned.

"Same thing we do every night Spanner. Try to make accounting easier," he said, sitting down beside his friend and getting to work. He grinned and laughed and worked, finally feeling himself again. Spanner smiled slightly, since it wouldn't do for him to show much emotion, at the sight of his friend's face. Now that he was in his element, Shoichi shown like a red star. This was his friend. This was Irie.

/**/

A/N: PINKY AND THE BRAIN REFERENCE FTW! Sorry, had to get it out. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Proverbs 4:11(NIV) [God] instruct[s] you in the way of wisdom and lead[s] you along straight paths.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Mukuro & Chrome vs. Mammon. Hum... you want some fries with that InSanIty¿

**Chapter 11:** The Illusionist Brawl

His eye twitched. Of all the Varia who _could_ have attacked it _had_ to be _him_. Of course. His life was just too normal, wasn't it? His friends looked to him in concern. "Sire?" asked Hayato. Tsuna growled, or was it a groan?

"Mammon," he spit, glaring at the herd of deer before him. Hayato sighed. He should have known. Mammon may be a fully grown... it, but he(?) was actually something of a prankster. Illusions and pranks went well together. Too well. Add to that the fact that Mammon was just as sadistic as Reborn(it was practically a requirement to be one of the Strongest Seven. Tsuna swore to never defeat one of them. He didn't want to be seen as a sadist.) and you have a terror beyond most of what you can imagine.

"Well, we can't get away from him. Mukuro, would you be so kind as to play with the Strongest Illusionist? I'm sure he'll be able to teach you lots of neat new tricks if you defeat him," Hayato said. Tsuna groaned. So that was why Mukuro gave him the creeps. He might just be strong enough to beat Mammon. His previous thoughts on sadism being a requirement for the title returned and he let out a keening sound before he fell to his knees.

"So _that's_ why," he muttered, unconsciously. Reborn quirked an eyebrow at that, wondering what his student meant. Hayato sighed, guessing at his friend's train of thought.

"Sire, he is a strong illusionist. And Reborn is an _assassin_. Madam Luce wasn't sadistic, was she? And what about Skull?" Tsuna gave his childhood friend a dead look.

"You never saw either mad," he said tonelessly. The others all looked at one another in varying emotions and levels of said emotions. Concern might have covered most of it, but there were other emotions as well. They were just a little difficult to decipher. Confusion might well have been one of the more prevalent though.

"I've heard Luce when she..." Hayato said, only to trail off as his friend and King shook his head, his normally warm and lively eyes dull and dead.

"No. I mean _mad_. As in 'no-one-will-_ever_-find-your-body' mad," the prince said, shivering slightly as he seemed to remember some childhood terror. Hayato blanched as he thought what that terror must be.

"You've seen _Madam Luce_ that mad?" he asked. Tsuna nodded.

"And Skull." Hayato looked like he might faint.

"_Skull_ got that mad? I mean... _Skull_ gave off _that_ aura? And you _saw_ it?" Tsuna nodded and Hayato really did faint.

"Kufufufu~! I might like to see those memories, little prince," Mukuro said gleefully. Or... as gleeful as he ever got. Tsuna gave him a slasher grin that made even the sadistic Mukuro and bloodthirsty Hibari, who was watching from a tree a discreet distance away, shiver slightly.

"Really now? You want to see the two most harmless looking people in my kingdom suddenly morph into cold blooded killers with mockingly pleasant smiles on their faces while their Flames swirl around them like vengeful spirits? You want to see a Queen with a shining scimitar cloaked in pure Flame the likes of which this world has never known while a near immortal, and well known as such, stuntman cracks his knuckles standing beside her and bearing an identical look of death in his eyes while his purple Flames glint off his exposed teeth and give his already purple eyes a freakish look?" he asked innocently. At least... as innocently as one could when they have a slasher grin on their face. Mukuro backed away. Slowly. Hibari was glad he stayed away from people by default. If he didn't, he'd be slowly retreating right along side the pineapple, as he called Mukuro. Takeshi laughed.

"Don't you think you laid it on a bit thick?" the easy-going swordsman asked and a sheepish grin. Tsuna turned his dead eyes on the raven and slowly shook his head.

"Would just anything cause this reaction in me, Takeshi?" he asked. The swordsman gulped, thinking of just how strong and terrifying the little brunette in front of him could be and what it must take to make the young man so lifeless at the mere thought.

"You have a point," he conceded. Tsuna smirked. It was at that moment that his Pillars vowed to flee and warn the populace if they ever saw that look on their ruler's face again. Such a devious and pain(of one sort or another)-promising look did not fit on Tsuna's face. At all.

"Of course. I'm me," he said, his eyes twinkling. His friends decided that the twinkle could stay, but that smirk was just too wrong. That was when they realized something. The only times Tsuna had made any of them scared he had been a bundle of cool, calculating, and yet burning rage. He had never scared them when he wasn't, as some would say, pissed off. This Tsuna was creepy in ways the Tsuna they knew, and loved if they'd let themselves be honest, could never be. However, it was Lambo who made the first move.

"You aren't Tsuna-nii," he said clearly, with no hint of fear in his voice. Takeshi gave the boy a confused look, Hayato sputtered, Ryohei yelled(EXTREME!), Hibari 'hn'd, Mukuro laughed(kufufufu~), and Chrome tilted her head.

"That is a very good illusion. You had me fooled for a moment," Mukuro said, glaring at a tree a few feet away.

"But I will not be fooled. Give me back Prince," Chrome said, her usually quiet and shy voice full of steel. Both she and her twin spun their tridents and, in perfect synchronicity, slammed the butts into the ground. Indigo mist swirled over the group and out in an oval about ten or so feet from the two illusionists. When the mist cleared, the trees looked different and Tsuna was gone. In the place of the tree Mukuro had glared at was a tall, dark, hooded figure with purple, upside down, triangles on its cheeks.

"Well done on dispelling that illusion. Perhaps the fluff-head does have a brain," the figure said in a silky, genderless voice, amusement underlining the words.

"I take offense at that, Viper," Tsuna said, stepping out from behind Hibari's tree. The skylark started.

_'I never noticed he was there!'_ Hibari thought in shock, though his face was completely emotionless. Tsuna, however, was the more chilling of the two. He was glaring.

"You know, perhaps better than anyone, that I have a brain. I found the illusions nearly an hour ago and have been trying to avoid them. You, however, seem to have written that off as me being lucky," the prince said, his voice icy and the air around him so cold it burned, or was it so hot it froze? Regardless, those who could feel his aura shivered and moved away from him, and out of his direct line of sight. Oh the Prince could still see them, but they were on the edges of his sight. "Ha!" the brunette barked, the hooded illusionist jerking at the sound, before he continued. "That wasn't luck. What was luck was being able to surprise you by moving out from under your illusion. How could you not know I was moving? It was your illusion! You should have been able to sense my movements through your Flame! And you imply I have no brain," the Prince almost ranted, ending his tirade with a small snort.

"I find myself agreeing with the interesting herbivore," Hibari said, surprising himself with his words. Tsuna smirked and though it was slightly creepy, it wasn't downright wrong either. It was just a smug, pleased, yet surprised smirk coupled with a twinkle of... was that pride? Joy? Determination? Resolve? All the above? Whatever it was, it made Chrome blush when she looked at his face. His relaxed yet battle ready posture didn't hurt either, in fact, it helped the image appear more dashing. Mammon, or Viper, shook slightly. Was this really the boy he(?) had taught? Was this really Tsunayoshi? No. It couldn't be. He was too... regal. Too confident. And _much_ too powerful.

"Oh, I assure you, I am Prince Tsunayoshi de la Vongola. Please, acquaint yourself with my dual Mist Pillars. I'm sure they'd love to show you what their creative little minds can do. Plus, those tridents aren't just for show. Enjoy your romp children!" the smirking prince said. His other Pillars, knowing the young man well enough to catch the underlying order, bowed their heads to the illusionists before following their Chosen King. Tsuna let out a slightly shaky breath once they were outside the oval of Chrome and Mukuro's influence. "_That_... was scary," he huffed. Takeshi laughed.

"I thought you were really cool, Tsuna!" he said in his typical lighthearted manner. The brunette's eyes suddenly glazed over and a soft, almost fond, smile stretched across his face. The others wondered what was going through the prince's head, or in Ryohei's case asked outright, and loudly, what was bothering him. Tsuna said nothing and sank down to the mossy ground with his back against a large tree, that same smile playing across his features, his mind back in that cake shop in Namimori and a pretty little red head smiling at him over cake and coco.

/*/

_ "Well... you're just so... cool," Engel says before hiding behind her cup, her petite yet strong features turning slightly pink and her flame red hair falling prettily to the left. Despite my shock, I notice how she holds the cup with both hands, her slightly too long sleeves covering her palms as she cups the smooth, warm ceramic mug. I try to shake my shock off, and am met with limited success._

"_No one... has ever said that... to me before," I say, stirring my coco. She thinks I'm cool? How? What have I done to warrant that?_

"_Why not?" she asks, sounding surprised. I can't really tell since I'm busy stirring my coco. I sigh, put down his spoon, and look out the window._

"_Why not? It's simple really. I grew up in a place where I was the least among many. I was good at making things, and I listened, but I rarely wanted to do anything but live my bland life so people always called me a failure, a wimp, a loser, a waste of space, and shunned me. It didn't seem to matter if it was a conscious decision or not, people just avoided me. I had many tutors, but even they couldn't get me to do anything extraordinary. And so, I was anything but cool back home," I say sadly, memories of my harsh life playing through my minds eye._

_/*/_

"Tsuna-nii?" asked Lambo, his childish voice calling Tsuna out of the memory Takeshi's casual comment had plunged him into. He smiled at the boy and gave him a hug.

"I'm fine, thanks. Just... remembering," he said, his voice belaying his words.

"Remembering what?" asked Takeshi, truly curious. Tsuna's smile took on a more wistful look.

"The best birthday ever," he said before standing and moving even further from the dueling illusionists. "You coming? I'd suggest it. Going anywhere near an illusion duel is like asking for a free pass into an insane asylum... run by the inmates." After that, the group fled the scene. Ten minutes later, they turned back toward the area they had since dubbed 'The Illusionist's Playground.' Mammon was no where to be seen and Chrome was laying under a tree, panting. Tsuna raised one eyebrow in a smooth, elegant motion, his head inclined toward Chrome while his eyes remained on Mukuro, his intentions clear. Mukuro sent back a look that said, 'one word and I _kill_ you. Slowly and _painfully_.' "Have fun?" the prince asked innocently. Mukuro's glare grew even sourer. Hibari's lip twitched up, just a little and only for a millionth of a second, at the way the weak looking brunette was able to get under the undeniable carnivore's skin with just two simple words and a quirked eyebrow. Tsuna sighed and shook his head. "Sun, Lightning, Storm, and Mist. That just leaves the Sky and Rain fights since Xanxus doesn't have a Cloud Pillar. I'll have to get that one off him as well. We're two days away from Pioggia Vale at the pace we've been going. However, unless Xanxus wants to fight me before Takeshi gets his Ring, I think those two days will be as peaceful as any day with me in the wilderness can be, so make the most of it. In the meantime, however, I think Chrome has the right idea. We'll camp here tonight and continue on in the morning. Any objections?" There were none. "Well, okay then. Good night," Tsuna said as he collapsed and promptly fell asleep. The others had what could only be called a 'sweat-drop moment' as they stared at their sleeping monarch.

"I guess Mammon's appearance put more strain on him than I thought. He really is the no-good prince," Reborn said, deciding it was high time he reasserted his influence in the motley gang the 'no-good' prince had assembled. Tsuna let out a strangled gargling sound that had the whole group, even Reborn and Hibari, looking at him with confusion plain on their faces.

"Um... I don't think he appreciated that comment, Reborn," Takeshi said, watching the sleeping royal with a puzzled look on his face. Reborn could only nod in agreement. Since when had Tsuna been able to respond to the outside world in his sleep?

"Well, don't just stand there. Get to work on your training while I try to wake Dame-Tsuna up," the assassin said. Tsuna grabbed the little foot headed for his head and chucked the miniature assassin into Chicksa.

"Shut up and rest, Idiot Assassin," the Prince said, giving his companions a one eyed glare, though it was focused mostly on Reborn. Refusing to admit to himself that the boy was scaring even him, Reborn simply sniffed at the boy.

"Don't think you can order me around, Dame-Tsuna. I'm still the strongest assassin," he said. Tsuna's glare actually managed to intensify.

"I'm tired, I'm sore, I'm experiencing flashbacks, I had to run from the illusionist Battle Royal, and Squalo is waiting to fight a rather inexperienced Takeshi. Take all that, mix in a dash of exceptional Flame control, a sprinkling of stress, and you have a condition that should not be ignored but can be at least temporarily alleviated by a good deal of sleep. I'm sure that everyone else is just as worn out as I am. Really, Ghrian, don't you remember how hard you had to work to get your abilities? How you had to rest in order for your body to function the way you want it to? We are young. Strong, yes, but young. Far too young to have to fight these battles but it is necessary. However, because of our youth, we. Must. Rest. Now shut up and rest you sadistic, idiotic, baby assassin," the prince said, growling as he spit out the last words. Reborn sighed, though he was shaken on the inside by that use of _that_ name.

"Fine. You have a day of rest. Use it well," the assassin said before vanishing into the forest. Tsuna huffed but rolled over and swiftly fell back into the realms of sleep. The others, including the Estrango escapees, decided to follow their prince. Sleep really did sound like a good idea. Who were they to argue with a good idea delivered by a prince that could pull off a death glare with only one eye? Chrome, who had been asleep since the battle, was experiencing mental backlash. One of the many drawbacks of illusions. While Tsuna convinced the others to sleep, her mind was trapped in the past.

/*/

_It was cold, dark, and stank of more than just mold. Fear, pain, blood, bodily excrement, and an underlying current of sadistic pleasure mixed with the cloying smells of the many and varied chemicals used by the scientists. The smell alone was often enough to have any 'visitors' lose their lunch. What those visitors saw was what really got them, if the sounds and smells didn't. And if the sight of innocent children under the age of twelve and none younger than two strapped to tables and being cut open by saws, knifes, and lasers, stabbed with so many needles feeding less than savory looking chemicals into them that they looked like porcupines, or having foreign limbs or organs; sometimes both, grafted onto them didn't get them then that visitor was one of the sickest beings on the face of the planet. Nagi was one of the lucky ones. She was being used as a trial illusionist. Her brother wasn't so lucky, being one of the few who was being implanted with a Hell's Eye. Most of the children exposed to that eye ended up dead... or worse. She was locked in her cage, shivering in the corner. She could hear the sounds of the other, unfortunate, children who had been brought to the facility. The screams weren't the worst. No, it was the sobs and whimpers that made her kind heart ache the most. She turned her head to look at one of the quietest children. He was blond and had a rather nasty looking cut across his nose. However, despite his quiet sobs and the injury, he had a look to his eyes that made the shy little girl want to smile. She slid over to the bars closest to him. "Hello," she said softly. The boy spun quickly. Perhaps a little _too_ quickly. His already pale face paled further from the pain and he grabbed at his side. "They punished you, didn't they," she said, still in that soft voice, hoping it would make him relax a little. He smiled painfully at her, she could see that his gums were raw and must pain him greatly, and said,_

"_Yeah, but it was worth it." Nagi tilted her head, but could say nothing more before she was yanked from the cold cage and her new almost-friend. He watched her go with pitying sadness. He knew the men who had taken the sweet girl. No-one came back even remotely undamaged from those men. Nagi was strapped to a table next to her brother, but could say nothing. Fear kept her mouth shut and her eyes wide._

"_Since you are the two most talented illusionists in the Kingdom, you have the honor of seeing if illusions can sustain a body that has lost most of its organs," the scientist said with a malicious grin. Nagi watched in abject terror as the man advanced on her with blunt and bloody instruments of destruction. Then, she heard a snarl and lotus flowers sprung up around the man._

"_Touch my sister and __**die**__, monster," Mukuro hissed dangerously from where he was tethered, his Hell's Eye glowing, a Japanese number in place of the pupil, though which one, Nagi couldn't tell. The man chuckled._

"_So... you are compatible with the Hell's Eye. This is a valuable discovery. Though," here the man laughed outright, "I doubt you could kill me boy, even with your powers." Nagi felt a growl loose itself from her throat, but thought little of it. She was more focused on making the foolish man pay for insulting her brother. Hot mist of indigo hue swirled around the not quite trapped man and tightened, burning him like fire and squeezing like a python. Then, all went black as a voice called out to her._

"_...ome? Chrome?! CHROME!" that kind, warm, caring voice called. Warm hands took her shoulders, firmly but gently, and shook her a little._

_/*/_

Chrome opened her uncovered eye slowly and saw Tsuna looking at her with fear in his orbs of amber fire. With a strangled cry, she launched herself at the young prince. He caught her easily and rubbed her back, doing his best to calm her. He looked over her head at Mukuro, his eyes pleading with the illusionist to tell him what was wrong. Mukuro shook his head, his own mismatched eyes filled with confusion. Tsuna sighed and hugged the sobbing girl. "It is over, Chrome. Whatever you saw was a dream. Vivid, maybe. Cruel, possibly. Real... at one time perhaps but now? No," the prince whispered in her ear as he stroked her soft, dark blue hair. Slowly, her sobs stilled and Tsuna pushed her away slightly so as to look into her eye. "I won't let anything harm you if I can help it, and I can help a lot of things. I promise you, I won't hold you back, but I will watch over you," he said evenly. She nodded, then turned to her twin and latched on, murmuring in his ear what she had seen. Those watching felt a myriad of emotions as Mukuro, the only one besides Hibari that was as sadistic and twisted as Reborn, went pale and began to shake.

"No wonder you began to cry, my precious Chrome. You should not have had to see that again, not after all these years," the male illusionist said, holding his sister tightly. Tsuna quirked an eyebrow and Mukuro said one word, a word that carried all the explanation anyone needed. "Estrango." The prince nodded.

"My promise extends to you and your friends, or pawns as you seem to deem them. You are one half of my Mist Pillar and that makes you family. Your... pawns... shall be like unto cousins to me. I shall watch and intervene only when it is necessary to save a life... or dignity," the prince said, smirking faintly toward the end. Ken chucked a piece of wood at the smirking prince's head while Chicksa vanished. Out of the two of them, Tsuna was more worried about Chicksa's silent retribution than Ken's loudly voiced threats. It was always the quiet one who stuck hardest and no-one knew that better than Tsunayoshi de la Vongola, the quietest of the Heirs. So, it was no surprise when he promptly fell forward, rolled back, used his Flame to push himself up, preformed a perfect handstand, and delivered a spinning kick to the emotionless young man... while still holding himself up on his hands and all under thirty seconds. Okay, it might have been a little surprising, no-one had expected the flashy move, but it was fairly warranted. Chicksa had, in fact, launched one of his signature sneak attacks upon the prince, though it did seem a little halfhearted. Almost like it was a token protest to Tsuna taking him under his wing when the silent youth was actually older than the prince. Said prince smiled jauntily at the stoic before turning to the others and asking, "Who wants lunch?" It was no surprise that most hands went up. Just like it was no surprise that it was Hibari sent to collect wood while Tsuna went to catch their food and Hayato started the fire. It was a familiar pattern, and one that they were all grateful for, even if they didn't admit it.

/*/

Spanner shook his head at the sleeping ginger. With a weary sigh, the blond rolled the red head off the desk and onto the floor. Which the other young man hit. Hard. The bundle of white cloth, red hair, and black boots whimpered before sea green eyes peeked out to glare at the apathetic blond, who simply sucked on his lollipop. "I hate you," Shoichi growled as he picked himself up off the floor.

"Good morning to you too. Here, this came for you," Spanner said tonelessly as he handed over a needlessly formal looking letter.

"He _summoned_ me?" Shoichi asked incredulously. He hadn't thought Byakuran would _ever_ summon him like this. And yet, there was the letter, in all its pompous glory. He sighed and surrendered to the inevitable. He pulled on his White Spell coat and trudged up to Byakuran's office. "You _summoned_ me," he said, managing to sound polite, irritated, and threatening at the same time. In the back of his mind, he was rather impressed with himself. Byakuran nodded.

"I did. Now, stand here and look like you want to decapitate someone," the white haired young man said, shoving Shoichi into a shadowed corner. He glared for all he was worth. He didn't need to _look_ _like_ he wanted to relive someone of their head. He actually did. Byakuran nodded at his glare. "Good, good. Now, look at the door without changing that expression," he said, ignoring the fact that the deadly look was real and already aimed where it should. Groaning, Shoichi turned to the door. His glare lost some of its deadliness, but it more than made up for it in sourness. Honestly, how Byakuran thought he could control how someone looked and acted was beyond Shoichi, and he had been the madman's friend for years. Stupid Milliefore 'Royal' family and their crazy offspring. With his thoughts firmly focused on that line of reasoning, Shoichi managed to hold his death glare. Then the door opened and, due to Byakuran's summons and subsequent request removing any and all chains on his emotions, Shoichi growled. Honest to goodness growled at the Mist Interrogator.

"You called, oh king?" the man said, trying to ignore the burning gaze of the growling red head and meeting with marginal success. Having Byakuran's right hand man and top Captain growling at you while glaring hard enough to set your coat on fire wasn't the easiest thing to brush off. It was moments like these that reaffirmed that Shoichi Irie was a man to be feared, even if he was only sixteen years old.

"Yes. What else have you been able to get from Princess Yuni about Prince Tsunayoshi?" Byakuran asked. Shoichi started a little, then intensified his glare. Byakuran had _this_ madman _interrogating Yuni?!_ Oh, that was it. They were _so_ going down. First he'd set the ball rolling on Interrogator Gordon, then he'd tell Aria about it, as well as why he'd done what he had, and join her for popcorn to a front row seat of the fallout. Oh yes, they were going _**down **_and Shoichi was going to enjoy watching them crash and burn. He felt his lips twitch in an uncharacteristic surge of sadistic glee as he envisioned the interrogator writhe under the not-so-gentle hands of Queen Aria, or of Prince Tsunayoshi, or of said prince's Mist Pillar. Word had it the Prince had hooked himself a fairly powerful illusionist for the position. How lovely it would be to see poetic justice served. But he was getting ahead of himself. Byakuran was displeased with how little information Yuni was providing. Shoichi snickered to himself in the privacy of his mind.

_'Good girl, little Princess! Keep it up and we might just bring this kingdom down around this upstart's ears,'_ the ginger smirked. Then the Mist user left and Byakuran turned _that_ smile on Shoichi. A queasy twisting took place in the latter's stomach. This wasn't likely to be good.

"Shoichi, I haven't seen you so bloodthirsty before. Tell me, how is it you did _exactly_ what I wanted when usually you are a proverbial sheep in the wolves' den?" Shoichi, taking hold of a courage he hadn't known he had, replied,

"Because I am a wolf in sheep's clothing. A handy disguise, and one you ripped to shreds when you _summoned_ me. I was _asleep_ darn it all! You of all people should know how much I value my sleep, Byakuran. Just as you should know that I don't take kindly to being told what to do without anything even resembling an explanation. So the next time you want someone intimidated, either do it yourself or get someone else. I might not be so reserved next time." As the ginger breezed out of the room, hiding his discomfort extremely well, Byakuran shivered. It was times like that that reminded Byakuran why having Shoichi as a _friend_ was much preferable to having the genius as an enemy. Not only could he tear you apart with his words and rapier wit, infiltrate your records and mess them over so bad no-one would let you live it down; plus it would be untraceable and so carefully executed the fake records would be believed by most authorities, and make you dance to his tune so you ruined yourself, but he could put the smack down on you harder and faster than his build and stature would suggest. Byakuran himself had once had the misfortune to spar against his top strategist, and he had come out saying that whoever said that strategists were weak little sissies was lying. Shoichi had soundly beaten the then prince and looked like a cat who ate the canary. Byakuran now knew that to face a strategist in battle was to look upon the face of defeat, if you weren't careful. Byakuran now sat down behind his desk and took a deep breath. While Shoichi had scared him, for a moment, he had done the job he was called for perfectly. People showed more of themselves to Byakuran's questing gaze when unnerved. The kinds of things, and how much, it took to unnerve someone told him what a person feared and how hardened he was. How he handled it told even more, to those who knew what to look for. Gordon was a spineless idiot, but he knew how to act brave. Then again, the only people Byakuran had seen stand up straight and seemingly unafraid in the presence of a truly angry Shoichi had been those who knew they were better, by dint of their experience, and those who truly didn't care, such as Spanner. Then again, Shoichi liked having Spanner around to bounce ideas off of and play games with, even if the blond didn't often show emotion. Gordon, however, as a creature of a different ilk. He was cunning; yet an idiot, ruthless; yet sneaky, powerful; yet weak at heart, and a pawn in almost every sense of the word. He had hidden some of his discomfort at being glared at, but had shivered when Shoichi growled and begun sweating barely five minutes into his interview. Then there were his methods. Cutthroat, ruthless, direct, and, in the case of small children, useless. Now if he could fetter out the 'Momma Lion' mentioned in the rebel's intercepted communications Gordon's touch might just be magic. Another sigh and Byakuran penned the order to have Gordon removed from Castle Giglio Nero. If Yuni had any useful information, he'd have to pry it from her himself.

/*/

Roul glowered, through really he couldn't be more gleeful. He resisted the urge to playfully wave the Mist Interrogator good-bye with a taunting smirk. Barely. His partner wasn't far behind him. Interrogator Gordon was a slime-ball by almost any standard and both Roul and his current White Spell partner were happy to see him go. Less pleasing, was the promise in the written order. Byakuran might well come to get information out of her Royal Cuteness himself. That didn't sit well with the middle aged Giglio Nero soldier. He had ridden to war with the girl's father, guarded her mother when the King could not, bounced her on his knee, and was the closest thing to a kindly uncle she had. Reborn didn't count. He was too much of a creepy silent killer type be be considered a 'kindly' uncle. And Tsunayoshi would make a wonderful older brother, but he wasn't there. Not yet. Roul smirked faintly, penned a note, sketched a feather in the margin, and sent it to Pioggia Vale. "What was that?" asked the Whitespell soldier. Roul's smirk turned into something a bit more sinister.

"Just a sketch and a call sign. Nothing major," he said. His partner shivered.

"I doubt that. It was for the Chaos Angels, wasn't it? You're trying to lead them here, aren't you?"

"The Princess wants her big brother. Her big brother wants her. Who am I to keep them apart?" Roul countered. His partner shivered again, though he returned the smirk.

"Well played."

"I try."

"Tsu-nii come soon?" Yuni asked. Roul turned to give her a soft yet mournful look.

"I'm not sure, Princess. I sent a message ahead of him, but while I know it _will_ reach him, I do not think he will be here soon," he said. Yuni smiled back at him.

"That good 'nuff, Roul. Thank you," she said before retreating to her corner. Roul sighed.

_'Please do come soon, Prince de la Vongola. I do not know how long she can last.'_

_/*/_

Engel glowered at the map laid out before her. That man was maddening! Almost as much as she was herself. She allowed herself a wolfish grin. Almost, of course, did not mean equal. She had a couple armies worth of pranksters at her beck and call... more or less. _Baka_uran only had his soldiers, and two-thirds of those were sulky at best. Down right rebellious at worst. Her grin grew even more predatory. Oh yes, she was better at causing madness than he was. And she enjoyed that 'power' immensely. Pulling out an array of inks; green, blue, orange, red, violet, and pink; Engel set to work mapping out the trade routes used by Byakuran, the Giglio Nero, the Vongola, the Angels of Chaos, and the Lion Cubs. From there, she marked stockpiles, checkpoints, and hide-outs in corresponding ink. With the sixth color, she marked sightings of the Prince. When she was done, she took out a box of pins. Each pin had a different color on the end; green, blue, orange, red, violet, and pink. She used these to mark areas of interest that could change at any moment, including where large numbers of 'troops' lay in wait. This was to be her war map and she would keep it with her forever, showing it to her children and grandchildren as a part of their legacy. But that was neither here nor there. Shaking her head slightly, Engel returned to her methodical work. If she wanted to cripple the tyrant without damaging the kingdom, she was going to have to be _very_ creative. And creative was what she did best. Hearing the slightly mad chortling floating out of the Chaos Angel's office, her partners in crime grinned and decided it would be a good idea to check their kits and sharpen their knives. When Chaos laughed all sane men fled and all pranksters felt a thrill of anticipation.

/**/

A/N: Well, there you have it. My latest edit. I hope you enjoyed seeing more of Shoichi, Engel, Yuni, and of course, Chrome's back story. Until next time, Chaos.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Yeah... Actually, I own a few things in this chapter. The OC's are mine, and adapted from another story of mine. Let me know what you think of them! The rest... nope, just the plot.

Chapter 12: The Battle of the Rain... finally

Spanner attempted to ignore his friend. It was rather hard when said friend was _stalking_ back and forth behind you, muttering death threats, and glaring hard enough to set something on fire. In fact, Spanner was surprised something _hadn't_ caught fire. Shoichi was in possession of a rather strong Sun Flame after all, and everyone had seen what Queen Aria's glares could do. "Sit down before you wear a hole in the floor," the blond mechanic finally snapped. Shoichi fell to the floor obediently, but sped up his muttering, making it louder, and intensified his glare.

"Stupid Byakuran. Stupid Gordon. Stupid Marshmallows. I'd like to show him what I think of marshmallows. Yeah, I'd shove them up a tube then light them on fire and use them as a torch. String them on every pillar and pole and light up the city with their green blue glow. Throw them in the desert and let the animals feast on the spun sugar confectioneries from the underworld. Better yet, I'll string them up on _him_ and then hang _him_ from the tallest tower, shoot a flaming arrow through his leg, and have the burning sugar scorch his flesh and the smell mix with his own stench. How _dare_ he use Princess Yuni like that! _How dare he_ imprison her in such a dank, dark, _rat infested_ _**dungeon!**_I will have his _head!_ I will have _Gordon's_ head! How _dare_ that monster _**interrogate**_ Princess Yuni with a _MIST MONKEY!_ It has gone too far. Too far I tell you! Where are those gun prototypes? I think it's time for a field test. He wants me to be intimidating? Fine. He wants me to be a soldier? Fine. I'll give him an intimidating soldier, even if I nearly pass out from nervousness! It has gone too far. Stupid Gordon, using those methods. Stupid Byakuran, thinking _Gordon_ could get _useful_ information from Yuni. Just look at who her mother is! Look at who her father was! Look at who she _calls_ father! Look who she calls _Uncle!_ Stupid Marshmallow addicted idiotic fool! I'll _roast_ him. Nice and slow. Perhaps I could stake him out in the plains a few miles south of here? With marshmallows strapped to him, but just far enough from his mouth that he can't reach them. And then, after a day or five, I could go out and make sure the marshmallows **burned**. Yes, a fitting punishment." Spanner shook his head, though couldn't deny the trickle of fear running down his back. Never had he heard Shoichi so mad. He had even threatened to use the new guns! Shoichi _never_ used guns! Guns were Spanner's department, not Shoichi's.

"Shoichi, please. There is no way you could actually be a soldier. And besides, Prince Tsunayoshi seems to be vowing his own revenge on our King. Why don't you just make Byakuran's life miserable from here, maybe send a bit of help to the rebels, and leave the roasting to the Prince?" Slowly, Shoichi's breathing leveled out, his muttering having stopped when Spanner spoke. He sighed.

"You're right. I'd fail miserably if I tried to do any of the things I said. I'll just send the new guns to the rebels... along with my other suggestions. I'm curious what the Chaos Angels, in particular, would do with those thoughts," Shoichi said, standing and crossing over to his desk. Spanner shook his head again, but conceded that writing to the Chaos Angels was better than muttering death. I mean really, Shoichi muttering about killing someone in slow, painful ways? That was just a little too much. And the worst part? Spanner had actually believed his near mad ramblings, and agreed. However, that wasn't what scared him the most. What scared him the most was, he would have helped. Happily.

/*/

Aria stared at the letter Engel had forwarded to her. Was this really what her inside contact had written? It didn't seem to fit. '_And yet,'_ she thought ruefully, _'It makes a strange amount of sense that Shoichi would react this way. He is a kind boy. Far too kind for war, or Byakuran.'_ She sighed and burned the letter. Aside from unsettling her somewhat, she was gratified by the youth's response to her daughter's predicament. She almost wished he _would_ do some of those things. Just not kill the Idiot Marshmallow. That was reserved for time. But that didn't mean they couldn't make him long for death. She smirked and wrote a short note to the strategist. _'You are a decidedly frightening young man. Now go steal some marshmallows, I want to see if they really do burn blue.' _When her food was sent, she slipped the note into the server's hand and whispered, "For Shoichi," before sending him on his way. Oh how she loved having a partner in crime. Especially one that wouldn't be suspected. The server shivered as Aria's cold laugh followed him and the guards at her door shared worried looks. They knew what that laugh meant. The Giglio Nero queen was plotting, and it sounded like a new piece had just fallen into place. They pitied their would-be king. An experienced ruler with nothing but time and a whole army of agents spread throughout three kingdoms could make life nigh on impossible for the unwary, and sometimes even the wary fell to their schemes.

/*/

_Pain. It filled her world and blocked out all sounds. Her throat was raw and her face hot. Trails of moisture on her cheeks told her she had been crying, though she didn't remember why or when. The boy was there as well. He was yelling now, throwing anything he could find at the man posted by his cage. She felt pity for the boy, somewhere in her pain filled heart, but she couldn't force her damaged throat to give voice to comforting words. The ringing in her ears prevented her hearing what the boy yelled, but there was another boy in the cage. A dark haired, pale skinned, emotionless boy with a blood stained bandage around his forehead. He looked at her listlessly, pain only barely showing in his dull eyes. He made her skin crawl, and yet she wanted to pull him close and hug him. Fresh tears poured down her cheeks. "Mukuro-sama, save me," she breathed. The darkness seemed to laugh, the cold pressing in until it burned, then a voice spoke. It was a voice unlike anything Nagi had ever heard._

"_You are safe," it said, warmth seeming to spring into being at the words. She looked around, but couldn't find the owner of the voice. "Chrome... Nagi... you will never be subjected to that again. Not as long as I claim you as my Pillar, my sister. Come on, wake up. Wake from your nightmare."_

_/*/_

With a jerk, Chrome sat up. A light chuckle and she turned to see Prince Tsunayoshi. "Good thing I already had my head to the side. You might have broken my nose otherwise," he said good-naturally. Chrome gave him a shaky smile in return.

"I'm glad you're okay, Sire," she said softly. His chocolate brown eyes melted and he laid a hand on her still trembling shoulder.

"I'm okay as long as you are. Now, rest. We'll be leaving in an hour, but nightmares always seem to make one more tired than before," he said, sending a small pulse of his Flame over her, harmonizing her emotions with his own and purging the last of Viper's Mist Flame from her system. She smiled gratefully as she rolled over. "Don't worry Mukuro, she's fine. Just some lingering Mist Flames. Viper likes to draw upon the worst of a person's life to torment them. Says it makes the illusions harder to break. Seems there is some truth to that claim," he said to the hovering illusionist. Mukuro let out a brief gust of breath.

"I thank you, Vongola. It pains me to see my precious Chrome in such a state," he said as he sank to the ground beside his twin. Tsuna chuckled.

"I can understand that. You rest as well, keep her safe. I'll take care of breaking down our camp and waking everyone else." Mukruo said nothing as the prince moved off, he was too focused on his sister. Her breathing was a bit more level, as well as deeper, and Mukuro felt himself relaxing against the tree behind them. With a sigh, he closed his eyes. Meanwhile, Tsuna was happily cleaning the clearing where they had slept. Until, that is, Ken began to whimper. Seeing the tears sliding down his face, Tsuna figured it had to be a memory resurfacing. With a sigh of his own, the prince knelt by the dirty blond. "Hey, Ken, you're in my kingdom now, and I will never allow human experimentation within my borders. You are safe, so wake up!" he said, sending a burst of Flame into the boy, who woke quickly.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING PYON!" he roared, standing as quickly as he woke. Tsuna gave a long suffering sigh.

"You looked like you were having a nightmare, so I woke you. No need to bite me over it," he said, turning to finish his work. Ken grumbled as he stowed his gear. Truth was, he had been dreaming of the past, and it affected him just as much as it did Chrome. He was glad Tsuna had called him, he just wouldn't admit it.

/*/

Engel was doing her 'duty' as a good little girl and going to school when she heard something interesting. One of the boys in her class was sensitive to the Flames some people could harness and use for a variety of uses, and he could sense a Flame in her. She tried to brush it off, but it weighed on her mind. She asked him what kind of Flame. He told her that he saw an orange haze surrounding her. She fought to keep her reaction internal until she had reached a more private area, then broke down. She had the Flame of the King. But how? It made no sense! Her parents... died before she could know them, before she could remember their faces, their voices. Could they have been royals? She shook her head and decided it was best if she didn't dwell on it. After all, she couldn't draw it out and didn't really want to try. That night, when she stole into the Rebellion's Head Quarters she saw all her Angels who went to school with her. She sighed. "You heard?" she asked. They nodded. She sighed again. "I can only tell you what I heard. Jack said he saw an orange haze around me. I know that the Flame of the King is orange, I also know that Jack can see an aura of a person's Flame, if it's strong enough that they might be able to pull it out. What does this mean for us? As far as I can tell, nothing. So don't get all up in arms saying I'm some sort of lost princess and the true heir or anything like that. Now, I have work to do, so scram," she said tiredly. They quickly dispersed to their 'stations' and Engel went to her office. That was when she saw the letter.

'_Chaos Angel, Papa Lion is going to be seeing his son soon while the Rain fights Above him. I trust you know what this means and will act accordingly. Please, Chaos Angel, I'm... this is a... just... The Rain and the Sky are the Last. Take care, Angel.'_ It was Momma Lion, and she seemed rather distressed. Engel had never known the older woman to give away so much in her letters, however brief they were. She let out a heavy breath and went about directing the rebellion and approving plots. Business as usual. Then she pulled out her homework after she had been working for three hours pouring over her color-coded map and pressing pins into key places while pulling them out where the work had already been done. Really she was surprised that _she_ was the one in charge of the rebellion. All the other 'leaders' were, for lack of a better term, her generals while she was the commander. While she worked on her mathematics, she found she couldn't focus on the masses of numbers and lines and symbols. Instead, her thoughts drifted to the young brunette who had given her the best birthday she had ever had. His soft brown eyes, his windblown yet strangely stylishly spiky hair, the musical quality of his voice, the sadness as he spoke of his home, his laugh, his smile, the lights that entered his eyes when she spoke to him... She stopped and shook herself. She was getting in too deep. She was infatuated with the boy! Gamma walked in while she was lost in thought, trying to stop thinking about Tsuna, The-Boy-Who-Stood. He was grinned and waving a letter.

"Roul!" he said, all too cheerful. Engel frowned at the handsome blond general.

"Roul?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow at the man and tilting her head. Her thick red locks bounced against her face as she moved and Gamma found himself thinking that Tsuna was one lucky prince to have hooked this beauty, even if she was a bit oblivious to boys. It was a shame, Gamma decided, that such a pretty young thing would be so uninterested in dating. She would have all the boys lined up around the block if she _were_ interested. "Roul?" she asked again, calling the wondering soldier's attention back to their conversation.

"Yes! Roul! He was one of the soldiers who had been stationed at the palace since Yuni was born! He loves the princess as if she were his own little girl, and she loves him like an uncle, though she's never told him, and the Idiot posted him as a guard outside her cell! Even his White Spell, meaning he was a follower of Byakuran before he took over the Giglio Nero, partner, who was supposed to keep him from breaking the princess out, has fallen head over heels for her! Roul managed to send me a letter! Do you think you could help coordinate a rescue for her? And is there a chance you could get the Prince in on it? Please?" the man said, nearly bouncing about. Engel was stunned. She had never seen the man like this ever before. She smirked and pulled out a iridescent orange pin.

"Show me where and I'll take care of the rest," she said, handing it over. Gamma beamed and quickly shoved the pin into... "The Giglio Nero Palace?"

"Yes. The original design had a dungeon. It hasn't been used in years, and all the entrances were thought to have been bricked over, but it seems Byakuran knew were at least one was. Yuni is being held prisoner in her own palace. Roul told me he had sent a copy of this letter to 'an insider' to pass to 'the Captured Sky.' I expect we'll be getting orders from Aria to do almost exactly what I'm asking now. I thought I'd just get the ball rolling," Gamma answered. Engel grinned her evil pixie grin and Gamma knew his request would be carried out... with style and extreme prejudice.

"You, my good man, came to the right place. I am glad we were able to become partners, General Gamma of the Giglio Nero," she said, standing and offering her hand. Gamma was stunned for a moment, then grinned and shook her hand.

"And you, fair maiden, are a genius. I too am glad we were able to see past our differences," he said, bowing over her hand, which he had now taken in both of his, and kissed it. "May the day come when your love is fulfilled," he said as he stood, a twinkle in his eye. Engel watched, puzzled, as the lithe man exited her so-called office. Finally, she shook her head and began penning the orders for the very special rescue mission. Just then, a rather excited looking boy burst in waving a note.

"The Prince is in Pioggia Vale! He's sent word to us!" he cried. She sighed and snatched the note from his flailing arms. With a flourish, she opened the small note.

"_Hello, Angel of Chaos. I am The Wanderer, and have been following your work closely. I must say, you're impressive. I've heard word of your Plan in the Giglio Forest. You have my blessing. Please take the Treasure to the Lion, I know it will be well there. I drive Southward and will soon see your struggle ended. Until then, Chaos,"_ it read. Engel smiled, knowing it was the Prince by the faint orange glow that came from the ink. She penned another note.

/*/

_ "To The Wanderer: Will do sir, and happily! The Lion is a favorite Playmate for the Chaos Angels and the Treasure should be no different. Fair winds to you, Wanderer, and may we meet in Victory."_ Tsuna smiled. Oh yes, he liked this one. Feisty and a mental match for Gamma when she wasn't preoccupied or trying, and failing, to be flirty. He looked up at his gathered Pillars.

"Yuni will be taken to my mother once the Rebellion break her out of her own prison. Now all we have to worry about is Yamamoto's fight against Squalo," Tsuna said cheerfully. His friends smiled at his joy while the rebel who had helped them contact the Angle of Chaos looked on in wonder. This was the group they were putting all their hopes on? He shook his head.

"The Varia should be here soon. To be honest, it's a wonder they aren't here already," he said. Tsuna nodded gravely.

"I've been pondering that myself and the prospects are not promising. They're waiting for us to make the first move," he said. His friends looked to him in confusion. That was when a light came into the Prince's eyes. A light no-one had ever seen before save Reborn. "At midnight, beneath the branches of the Oak, the Shark and the Swallow shall clash and the True Rain will be decided. Squalo will appear, I Sense it," Tsuna said, power and authority ringing in his voice. All those who heard his decree dropped to their knees before the young Royal and bowed their heads in deference to his authority. Before the battle, Tsuna lead the group back to Takeshushi.

"Oh! Tsunayoshi! What brings you... " the aging chef began before freezing, his eyes wide at the group behind the slender brunette. The retired soldier could feel the strength of the band of fighters pulsing, like a tidal wave barely held back. Even the indigo haired girl had a core like steel. But that wasn't the most surprising. No, that title belonged to the growth of his son and his Prince. Gone was the painfully shy, bumbling boy but in his place was a confident yet humble young man who was powerful and knew it, but wouldn't flaunt it. Gone was the masked pain, forced smile, and baseball bat bearing boy but in his place a swordsman whose smile was calm, yet powerful and whose pain was finally over. Tsuyoshi bowed. "It is an honor to have you and your Pillars in my restaurant, Prince Tsunayoshi. What can I do for you?" Tsuna smiled sadly.

"Well... you see... Squalo trounced your son a few weeks back and he's itching for a rematch. But that's not all. We were hoping that Squalo could teach him how to use the four sword style of Asari Ugetsu, whose swords we recovered. The battle is tonight at midnight and I was wondering... could you coach Takeshi for a few hours?" he said, rubbing the back of his head. Tsuyoshi smiled.

"I would be proud to pass on my knowledge, but my style will not work fully with four swords." Tsuna gave him a fox-like grin.

"That's where evolution comes in. Takeshi isn't you, and just as he is not you, your style won't necessarily be his. Oh it will start out the same, but he'll add to it and make it his own, just like all true swordsmen learn from their masters and then grow beyond what their masters can teach them. Takeshi is a true swordsman, Tusyoshi-san. I have faith that with your teachings, he will flourish." Tsuyoshi looked at his son, who seemed a bit sheepish.

"Takeshi?"

"I hadn't planned on asking you to teach me. But if you can help me get the Rain Ring for Tsuna... I'd be eternally grateful," the young swordsman said, looking up at his father through his bangs, a trick he had learned from Tsuna. Tsuyoshi shook his head.

"It doesn't matter. I will teach you my style and you can make it your own... and then you will cream Squalo and retrieve the Rain Ring to wear with pride," the older swordsman said, taking his son out back and beginning the harsh one day training.

/*/

Engel was happily reading the responses to her orders when Gamma walked in. "Gamma, what a pleasure! Are you here to complain or ask for a progress report?" she asked. Gamma shook his head at the feisty young woman.

"You know me far too well if you can predict my motives like that. I'm here to know how the plans for Yuni's rescue are going," he said. She gave him a dangerous looking smile.

"My men are moving into position as we speak. The little princess should be in the arms of Momma Lion by the end of the week," she said. Gamma sighed in relief, then gave her a curious look.

"Momma Lion?"

"Nana Sawada," Engel answered. Gamma's eyes went wide.

"The Prince's mother?!" he squawked, leaping from his chair. Engel nodded.

"The Prince himself asked for this. Here, the note," she said, handing over the paper. Gamma read in silence, then a slow grin overcame his features. It was not a cruel grin, nor was it a 'charming' grin. It was not a mask nor was it a means to an end. It was, in fact, a true grin of pure joy. His eyes lit up, his face glowed, his teeth shone, and his hands fidgeted. It was the kind of manic yet happy expression that cannot be expressed with words. Such a grin must be seen to be known. He turned shining eyes to her, his joy nearly blinding her.

"I thank you," he said, standing and taking her hand in his. He bent over her hand and gently pressed his soft lips to the back of it. Engel couldn't keep a small blush from her coloring her cheeks at the action. Only Tsuna had ever done that to her. Pushing thoughts of the kind brunette from her mind, Engel fished for a response to Gamma's thanks. She was saved from answering when Gamma swept out of her office and back out to the guard station.

/*/

When Gamma entered, all the soldiers who had come with him from Giglio Nero looked at him expectantly while the Milliefore and Vongola were confused. Looking at his men, and those who had sworn allegiance to Timote, Gamma smirked. "Milliefore soldiers to the break room. Let the conquered do the heavy lifting," he said. Those who knew him from before smirked as well. He wanted to talk to them. Alone. Once the sneering White Spell were gone, Gamma's smirk turned back into the true grin he had worn when Engel gave him the progress report. "Rejoice, my friends, for the Prince has given his first order. By this time next week, Chaos will have freed a great Treasure and given it to the Mother Lion for protection," he said, glee simply pouring off of him. His troops grinned as well. When Lightning Gamma grinned like a loon and bounced like a child high on sugar, it generally meant that chaos had been sown... and that it was both amusing and not entirely bad. Then again, there had been that one time when they saw him dashing away from the Pillar's Quarters with a suspiciously indigo wrapped sword. Or the time he was hiding in the rose bushes with an eerily familiar bag. Despite what many people thought, pool was not Gamma's only hobby, nor was it the one that truly made his eyes spark. No, that honor went to pulling pranks. Why? Because until you got to know the man he would be the last one you would suspect of such a thing. This trait came in handy whenever the Queen wanted to be rid of a diplomat, but couldn't just tell them to leave. Gamma would prank them out of a career.

"So... you want some ale?" asked one of the soldiers from Vongola. Gamma quirked an eyebrow. "I also have a pool table and a couple cue-sticks," he added. Gamma grinned.

"Party at Johnathan's place after patrol!" he said. The others cheered.

"Bring any booze you have in your house. I'm not sure I have enough for all of you!" Johnathan said with a slightly nervous smile. Gamma looped an arm around his shoulders with a grin.

"No worries! We shouldn't drink too much any way. We still have work in the morning!" The others groaned. Not even the news of a royal rescue could get Gamma to give them a day off. "Because we don't want the White Spell members to know that we're happy or that something good for us is going down, got it?" Gamma added, suddenly deathly serious. The soldiers nodded, grim faced once more. No way in the Eight Kingdoms were they going to let those snobbish, boot-licking, back-stabbing, Royal-nabbing, slacking, pathetic excuses for human beings know about the Treasure being Moved.

/*/

Jason smirked dangerously as he eyed the castle gates from the shadows of an alley. _'If any of those slime-ball White Spell sods show their faces, they'll regret stepping foot in Giglio Nero,'_ he thought. Then he huffed slightly. _'Why did I get stuck here? Why not Daniel? Or Annette? Annette is an amazing scout! Oh wait, that's why she was sent into the castle. She has to find the hidden dungeons where the Treasure is being held. Oh well, I get to have my fun tomorrow.'_ Jason was an Intel/close combat specialist, which meant that he could charm the pants off anyone and then beat them so thoroughly that they didn't remember a thing about the smiling young man with the silver tongue. Had the Chaos Angels not contacted him, he might have gone on to be the most infamous master thief in the Eight Kingdoms. As it was, he was now the one who gathered rumors and plugged leaks for the Chaos Angels. He hoped to meet the mastermind one day, but for now, he was content to use his skills for someone who appreciated them. Plus he was glad to be able to use them while not shaming his mother. The cry of a hawk cut through the air and Jason let out a healthy sigh. Annette had returned from her scouting and from the sound of it, she hadn't found anything. A thrill of anticipation curled in his chest. _'Perhaps they'll remember my Intel skill set and send me in this time!'_ he thought as he sped away to their agreed upon rendezvous point. "Well?" he asked, leaning against a wall swathed in shadow. He liked the shadows. Convenient things they were, helping to conceal his movements and add mystery to his character. Annette just thought he was being silly, but that was because she knew the boy behind the shadows and mystique. All the same, she hung her head, dark brown and short cropped hair framing her pixie-like face.

"No dice, Jason," she mumbled, but even then it couldn't disguise the melodic quality of her voice. She was a petite young lady, about five foot four inches tall with large, expressive blue/green eyes, a small; but cute, mouth, and agile limbs. If one didn't know her, they would see a little girl who needed to be protected. They couldn't be more wrong. Annette was a strong fighter with a staff, tonfa, sword, and her bare hands. However, that wasn't where she excelled. No, she excelled in the shadows even more that Jason. Give her any ranged weapon and she could beat most grown men. Her favorite was the blow gun. Small, dark, silent, and potentially deadly but more often used to send her enemies to sleep. The none permanent kind. Jason shook his head. She may be a scout, and a phenomenal one at that, but it's hard to find something that shouldn't exist.

"Don't beat yourself up Annette. But you'll still need to give a full account when the others get here," he said, still partially in the shadows.

"Yeah, I know. I'm just a little bummed that I couldn't find _anything_ on the dungeon," she said, blowing her hair out of her face. Jason smiled faintly, though it disappeared as soon as the rest of their 'team' showed up. Jason felt his hackles rise. In his mind, Annette, Daniel, and he were the only ones who needed to be in the area to sow chaos. Too bad these thugs didn't see it their way. Neither did the local Overseer. So Jason just stewed in silence and watched as their so-called 'team leader' tore into Annette. Until the brainless oaf said she should have stayed home and let the men handle things. It was too good an opportunity to pass up.

"There are men here? Where? All I see are a bunch of sissy little boys who want to rebel against authority," he said coldly. When the thugs turned to the smirking almost-assassin, Jason saw the devious and thankful smirk on Annette's face. His own smirk deepened. He had permission to tear these goons a new one. Sweetness. He'd have to make sure to take her to her favorite store after this. The pleasure he was about to get out of these idiots would be worth the torture of shopping with a woman.

"What you call us?" goon one grunted, glaring stupidly at the smirking youth. Ah yes. Unimaginative retort/poorly veiled threat. Right on cue.

"I called you a 'bunch of sissy little boys who want to rebel against authority,'" he repeated, his expression becoming a few degrees cooler. Annette retreated a few steps, then hopped up on a crate and settled in to watch the show. Jason always did good work. Sure enough, goons one through five started cracking their knuckles in a 'threatening' manner. Jason simply chuckled darkly.

"You'll pay for that!" goon three roared, swinging a wild hay-maker at the smirking youth. The large boy's hand met with unforgiving stone as Jason vanished.

_'Child's play,'_ the silent youth thought. "You missed~!" he sang before delivering a perfect knife hand strike to the base of goon three's skull, knocking him out. Dark red eyes pinned the remaining four goons in place. They began to sweat under the hellish gaze. You see, there's something you need to know about Jason. He is a rather powerful Storm user who has perfected his Flame control because he was pretty much born in what is called Dying Will Mode. When he was born, he was weak and nearly died. Seeing his mother's worried, tear filled eyes moments after his birth, he was determined to live for her, this woman who held him and looked at him with eyes full of wonder and fear for him. That was when he entered Dying Will Mode with the resolution to live. After that, it was hard for him to not be in that mode and so he trained to be able to control himself and his Flame. And so, because of his perfect control, he could flare his Flame through his eyes without giving away his Flame to the average Joe. The result was red eyes that literally burned, as well as four freaked out goons and one unconscious fool. His smirk transformed into a slasher grin. "But _I_ never miss my mark, Marcos," he said, his voice a deadly hiss, as he knelt beside the downed fool. "You're next, Marco~!" he sang, red eyes flaring in anticipation. The poor boy whimpered and tried to flee. Too bad his opponent was Jason. He was down before anyone besides Annette even knew the lithe youth had moved. The remaining boys fell to their knees and begged for mercy. Jason, his lust for blood and revenge sated for the moment, retreated back into the shadows, his red eyes glowing in the dark. Another reason he liked shadows. They made his Flame Eyes, as he called it when he flared his Flame through his eyes, much more creepy. Annette hopped off her crate.

"As you can see, Jason is better than all five of you combined, and then some. After Jason comes Daniel, then comes me, in terms of fighting prowess anyway. If you want information, send Jason; if you want destruction, send Daniel; if you want to know where people are, send me. What you want, is information _and_ people. In that case, send Jason. He's quick, silent, deadly, and could charm the information out Byakuran himself. Your mistake, was not telling us what, exactly, you wanted us to get. Now, you have a bummed out scout and weapons specialist as well as a peeved almost-assassin/spy. Not the best of situations," she said. They whimpered and hung their heads. Getting chewed out by a girl was bad enough. Getting chewed out by the girl you were chewing out not even a minute ago was another matter all together.

"Okay. Jason, would you... " the would-be leader trailed off as he met the burning red eyes of the almost-assassin/spy. It was as if the fires of Hell were burning in fiendish joy. "I'll... take that as a yes." The burning eyes dipped down and the unfortunate boy felt shivers of fear course down his back. Together with his friends, he picked up Marco and Marcos, who were twin brothers, and fled. Jason allowed his Flame to die back down and stepped out of the shadows again. Now that he wasn't channeling his Flame, or beating fools into unconsciousness, his eyes were a warm hazel and his hair was revealed to be the color of honey. He was tall, slender yet powerful, graceful to the point of creepiness, and his expressive mouth was once again tilted up in a kind smile.

"That was far too much fun," he said in a strange mix of elation and shame. Annette sighed.

"When you go dark, you really go dark. There's just no way around it. Any way," she said, kicking up dust as she spun to face the slightly sheepish youth. "Now it's your turn. You'd better not mess this up Jason. I'd hate to see what the Goon Squad would do if we sent _them_ in to find the dungeon." Jason shivered slightly before he breezed out of the alley. No way was he letting this go. He was going to find that little princess and get her to the Prince's mother. He had seen Inquisitor Gordon, taken his measure, and found him wanting. Now, he slipped in the servants entrance and charmed the staff into not even questioning his presence there. From there, he intercepted a request of food for the guards. Once he heard that, he offered and a frazzled looking maid eagerly handed over her tray with directions on how to find the men it was meant for. Smiling at the slightly relieved maid, he thanked her and quickly left, silent as a jungle cat and just as elegant. Skillfully weaving between dignitaries, soldiers, malcontents, and Royal Emissaries, Jason made his way to the outer walls.

"Pardon me, but I was told to bring lunch for the hard working North Guardsmen?" he said respectfully as he edged carefully out of the stairway. The men perked up.

"That would be us, Young One. Come, pass it around," the senior Guardsman called. He was in luck. They were all White Spell, meaning they might know a way into the dungeon. "So, what do you think of that Vongolian Prince What's-his-Name... Tsunayoshi?" he asked. The Guardsman in front of him sneered.

"King Byakuran will crush that pathetic weakling," one said.

"I heard that the little Gigilio Nero brat calls him 'big brother,'" another said. Jason nodded with a pensive look on the outside while mentally he was grinning a predator's grin.

_'Target acquired,'_ he thought as he passed out the food.

/*/

The moon shown bright in the cloudless sky while under a large and slightly waterlogged oak a single, slender figure stood. A bamboo practice sword was passed nervously from hand to hand, the boy's father's words echoing ominously in his mind. _'This sword has been passed down from generation to generation. When used with our Sigure Soyn Ryu, the blade is revealed, but when used with any other style, it is useless. If you cannot transform it, you are not my heir.'_ Takeshi sighed. He wanted to make his father proud, but would the Sigure Soyn Ryu be enough to defeat Squalo? Would he be able to live up to his father's legacy? _'__Tsuyoshi Yamamoto was among the best swordsmen in the entire Kingdom and trusted with the life of the king's own sons when they went out to play,'_ Reborn's voice piped up, reminding him of his father's legend.

"VOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOIIIIIIIIIIII! BRAT! I DIDN'T THINK YOU'D BE STUPID ENOUGH TO CHALLENG ME AGAIN!" Squalo roared. Takeshi laughed lightly.

"I need that Ring in order to help Tsuna. There's no way I'd let one defeat stop me," the young swordsman said, bringing his father's heirloom down in front of him. Squalo laughed when he saw what the lad held in his hands.

"YOU THINK A MEASLY BAMBOO SWORD CAN DEFEAT ME?!" he roared in amusement. Takeshi shook his head.

"I think the style my father passed on to me will be able to defeat you," he answered. Squalo barked out another laugh, then swung his sword at the young man's head. Using the speed countless hours of Reborn's training had pounded into him, Takeshi dodged to the side. In a feat of strength and skill, Squalo reversed the direction of his powerful swing, taking it back toward Takeshi. Lunging forward, the young Rain Pillar-to-be rolled under the dangerous blade and rammed his shoulder into the Shark's stomach. Or at least he tried too. Squalo saw what he was aiming for and jumped out of the way. Speed almost equal, the two danced under the stars, Squalo's blade glinting silver in the moon light. It was beautiful, and deadly. Takeshi had no openings in which to attack and his sword had yet to reveal its true form. The rest of Tsuna's group had stayed at Takesushi as per Takeshi's request. This was a fight he had to face on his own. However, Tsuna knew Takeshi would need a push, so he crept out of the house and out to the oak. He arrived just as Squalo was about to land a potentially fatal hit.

"TAKESHI!" Tsuna yelled, nearly falling into Dying Will Mode. Takeshi's quick dodge kept Tsuna from interfering.

"This is my fight, Prince. Please, leave it to me!" Takeshi called. Squalo scoffed.

"As if you could defeat me," he hissed, quickly reminding his opponent of his presence with a swift slash to his midriff. Suddenly, Takeshi was on the offensive. Movements still slightly jerky from lack of proper practice, Takeshi managed to transform his sword as he moved through the offensive forms his father had drilled into him. What followed Tsuna could never accurately describe. Two swords, two Pillars, thousands of strikes moving too fast for the normal eye to follow. Blood flowed freely from Takeshi's many wounds, but Squalo also had his fair share of superficial cuts. In one final move, Takeshi created his own form and knocked Squalo out cold. Panting, Takeshi wearily made his way over to his fallen opponent and claimed his prize. The blue gem in the Rain Ring glinted in the moon light and the silver band glowed as he held it out to Tsuna.

"I, Takeshi Yamamoto, pledge my allegiance to you, Prince Tsunayoshi de la Vongola. As a sign of my loyalty, I present to you the Ring of the Rain." Tsuna smiled, took the ring from his friend's hand, and placed it on his left ring finger.

"I can think of no-one else I would rather want as my Rain Pillar than you, Takeshi Yamamoto. Raise, and stand by my side," he said, sealing the contract between them. As Takeshi rose, Tsuna felt a thrill of pride toward the black haired swordsman. Even with a severe disadvantage, he won against an opponent that had thrashed countless warriors far more experienced than him. "You fought well, Takeshi. Let's get you back to your father's. You've earned a rest, my friend." Takeshi felt a warmth deep in his chest as his Prince carried him back to his childhood home. A weight seemed to have lifted off him once he struck the last blow and he felt free and unashamed. Tsuyoshi greeted them at the door.

"My son!" he cried, overjoyed to see his son alive, but filled with worry at the sight of his countless wounds.

"I won, father. Thank you," Takeshi breathed, falling forward into his father's arms. Tsuyoshi turned to Tsuna, a question in his eyes.

"He fought well, as befitting a successor of the Sigure Soyn Ryu. He even made his own form in the end," Tsuna answered. Seeing a brief flare of panic on the older man's face, Tsuna smiled. "Your sword transformed for him, Tsuyoshi, there is no need to fear. We have other business to attend to here, so we'll be staying for a while. I leave my Rain Pillar in your care, Tsuyoshi." The retired soldier bowed to his Prince and took his son upstairs to clean his wounds and let him rest. Tsuna watched them, then turned to look at the raising sun.

"Father..." _'Tomorrow, we'll pay a visit to the Soldier's Quarter and see just what my father has gotten himself into.'_ With that thought firmly in his mind, the weary Prince made his way to the room Tsuyoshi was kind enough to let him use and slept until the next day.

/?/

A/N: And the last Pillar Battle has been fought! Next up... destruction, banter, Xanxus, and the fulfillment of a promise. Beware the Red Eyed Man!

Proverbs 4:17

"[The wicked] eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence."


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Only the plot and the people in Giglio Nero(minus Yuin) are mine.

**Chapter 13: **A Flame-ful Reunion

Iemitsu Sawada de la Vongola, Young Lion of Vongola, cousin of the King, and father of Prince Tsunayoshi de la Vongola was not one to fold easily. However, this was pushing it. "You have got to be kidding me," he said, a muscle in his right eye dancing a jig. The White Spell soldier in front of him grinned a decidedly evil smile.

"Oh, but I'm not, Young Lion of Vongola," he sneered.

"You would sink so low as to hold the children of Pioggia Valle hostage to get me to do your bidding? Have you no honor?" Iemitsu asked. The soldier in front of him laughed evilly. Iemitsu didn't usually call a laugh 'evil,' and he didn't normally use the adjective 'evilly' with anything, but this crazed individual seemed to have been made to have Iemitsu act in unusual ways. Thus, the Young Lion of Vongola found himself using all forms of the words 'evil,' 'villain,' and 'fiend' with frightening regularity whenever the White Spell member was near.

"Byakuran has given us permission to do whatever necessary to get you to give into our demands," the, Iemitsu hesitated to call him a 'man,' said. Iemitsu sneered at him.

"You're sick!" he spit, though he was considering giving in. In fact, he was considering giving up and training their men when the back wall exploded.

"HAYATO! I said, 'make an entrance,' not 'blow up the wall and potentially kill everyone in the room!'" a slightly frantic, slightly exasperated voice called. Iemitsu recognized the name, but couldn't quite place the voice.

"I'm sorry, Sire. But I _did_ make an entrance," a voice that could only be Hayato Gokudera answered. That was when a group of nine entered the room.

"Yes, you _did_ make 'an entrance,' but I was thinking more along the lines of a small hole, not something flashy that says, 'hello, here we are, now prepare to get your backsides handed to you,'" the first voice said.

"Kufufu~. Little Vongola has a point, Mr. Bomber," a creepy, sadistic voice said. A tall, pale youth with indigo hair fashioned like a pineapple and wearing a long military style coat stepped out of the dust. His red eye glowed faintly in the semi-darkness and his smile gave everyone a distinctly worried feeling.

"Oi! Pineapple ba**rd! Don't refer to the Tenth like that!" a silver haired youth said as he came flying out of the dust to attack the indigo haired boy. His flashing green eyes, long, elegant fingers, and octopus styled hair were painfully familiar to the captured soldier. He was Gokudera Hayato, the boy who had run away from his family many years ago. But what was he doing here? And who was 'the Tenth'?

"EXTREME SPARRING!" a white haired youth with burning gray eyes and cloth wrapped around his wrists yelled at the pair, punching the air as he grinned wildly.

"Stop, Mukuro-sama," a frail looking girl with an eye patch and hair similar to the pineapple haired boy's said, stepping between them and blocking the bomber's punch with her trident.

"Kayy! Why did we have to come along?" a spiky haired blond with a large, horizontal scar across his nose snarled. By now the dust was settling and those who still hung back were becoming clearer. An apathetic looking youth was fiddling with his twin yo-yos, looking at everything as if it weren't worth his time. A little curly haired boy with yellow horns somehow stuck to his head was laughing manically, cherry bombs in his hands and a slightly crazed look in his eyes. A black and silver blur came shooting past those standing around and straight at the White Spell member. He blocked the attack with a sword he barely managed to get up. The blur stopped to reveal a black haired youth with twin tonfa and steel gray eyes glaring at the Millifore soldier.

"I'll bite you to death," he said, his voice a promise of death.

"Now now, Hibari-san," the first voice said, a short youth with gravity defying golden hair and metallic gloves stepping gracefully over rubble, completely free of dust and debris, "that one is mine." Hibari smirked.

"Omnivore," he said, backing away and joining the others in a protective semi-circle behind the brunette. The leader raised his head slowly and looked straight into the White Spell soldier's eyes.

"For threatening my father," he raised his hand and a subtle orange glow surrounded it, "I'll burn you to death," he finished before darting forward. Iemitsu could only watch in awe as his son avoided each and every strike the soldier attempted, then punched him through the solid steel door. "Nobody messes with _my_ family, Marshmallow Follower," Tsuna growled, fist still held in front of him as he crouched in a defensive stance that allowed him to easily attack at a moment's notice, his amber eyes fierce.

"Tsuna?" Iemitsu asked, not quite believing it was his son who had just freed him. Tsuna turned to him, his hair darkening and eyes reverted to warm chocolate brown as he slipped off his gloves.

"Hey dad. Mom told me about your predicament, so I decided to swing by on my way to the palace. You okay?" he asked, putting his gloves back in his pocket. Iemitsu simply stared at his son. "Hello~! Anyone home?" Tsuna asked, knocking on his father's forehead, a puzzled look on his face.

"Your Pillars?" the man finally asked. Tsuna smirked.

"Most of them. Hayato Gokudera, my Storm Pillar," the silver haired boy stepped forward and bowed, "Lambo, my Lightning Pillar," the curly haired boy laughed annoyingly, "Mukuro Dokuro, my Male Mist Pillar," the boy with the red eye laughed creepily, "Chrome Dokuro, my Female Mist Pillar," the only girl bowed slightly, "Kyoya Hibari, my Cloud Pillar," the boy with the tonfa glared, "Ryohei Sasagwa, my Sun Pillar," the white haired young man roared, "and Takeshi Yamamoto, my Rain Pillar, is resting at his father's house recovering from a fight with Squalo. The one with the blond hair and obnoxious attitude is Ken and the one in the beanie playing with yo-yos is Chicksa, friends of Chrome and Mukuro who escaped Estrango with them."

"Seems like you got all the rejects, outcasts, and freaks," Iemitsu said, exhibiting his lack of tact. Before any of the gathered fighters could move, Tsuna had introduced his father's face to the floor.

"No-one, not even my father, talks about my friends like that," the Prince said in a deathly low voice. Iemitsu felt a shiver of fear course down his back. This wasn't the son he knew. This was a warrior Prince who was fighting every day for his kingdom. A warrior Prince whose generals he had just insulted. Not a good idea.

"Sire... it's okay," Hayato said, placing a hand on the seething prince's shoulder. Tsuna drew in a shuddering breath, then blew it out slowly and evenly.

"Are you..."

"Tsunayoshi, has anyone told you you care all too much?" Mukuro asked, smirking.

"EXTREMELY OKAY, VONGOLA!" Ryohei roared, again. Tsuna smiled and relaxed completely.

"Thanks guys. Now," a truly devious look came upon the prince, "what do you say we make a mess while we're here? I feel like striking a personal blow to the Idiot Marshmallow." Hibari's eyes flashed with primal joy at the thought of prey.

"I'll blow them to pieces!"

"EXTREME WARPATH!"

"Wolf Channel!"

"I'll take that a, 'you bet!'" Tsuna said with a feral grin, his hair lightening again as his eyes began to glow orange. He turned to his father. "You coming?" he asked, holding out a hand. Iemitsu grinned.

"Like I'd sit back and let you have all the fun!" he said, clasping his son's forearm as he stood, a new determination flooding him. Tsuna's grin deepened.

"That's the spirit!"

"Oi! Tsuna! Can I join?" asked Takeshi. Tsuna's eyes widened.

"I thought I told you to take it easy!" he screamed, fear entering his voice. Takeshi chuckled weakly and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well you see..."

"It's been a long time, Iemitsu," Tsuyoshi said as he stepped out from behind his son. Tsuna sighed.

"I should have known," he said, smiling fondly, yet resigned. Iemitsu shook his head at the two smiling swordsmen.

"So that's why you left, Tsuyoshi. Reborn promise to keep your son's Flame a secret if you gave him to the Chosen Heir?" Iemitsu asked. Tsuyoshi nodded, a brilliant smile on his face, though it hid a razor's edge.

"Yep! And I must say, your son will make a grand king. I am glad he was the one to claim my son. Did you know, he nearly refused to take Takeshi with him? Took a separate personality of his and a suicide attempt to get the boy to agree!" Iemitsu shook his head at that.

"Suicide, Tsu-chan?"

"It wasn't my fault Takeshi nearly threw himself off the school roof," Tsuna said, giving his Rain Pillar a rather disparaging look as he sulked. He may have thought he was acting cool or imposing, but really he just looked adorable. Iemitsu shook his head.

"I did think about you when I made the decision. I was thinking, if baseball didn't want me, and you didn't want me, I didn't have anything. So I was going to end it all," Takeshi said, making Tsuna nearly fall over like he had been hit on the head.

"Takeshi!" he wailed, but the swordsman cut off any other reprimands with a sharp glare.

"I may not always make sense to you, but I'm very serious about this. I felt like I was slipping and couldn't get a grip, then you came and it was like the rain in my head stopped and I could see again. Then you told me to get lost, and the rain was back, drowning out everything. I couldn't go back to that, so I was going to end it, end it all. It was only when you accepted me that the world had purpose again," Takeshi said, then lifted his left hand to show the Ring of the Rain. "You told me to keep this Ring, and I intend to make sure you don't regret that decision. Now, let's go wreak some havoc!" This was met with much rejoicing. For the next two and a half hours the Soldier's Quarter rang with shrieks, screams, whimpering, explosions, the sound of flesh meeting an unforgiving object, and a few cries of 'you lost because I was your opponent,' 'I'll bit you to death,' 'EXTREME PUNISHMENT!' and, 'never harm my family, fools.' By the end, only eleven blood soaked figures remained standing in the rubble. No-one dared approach the group, they who had annihilated the entire Soldier's quarter and razed it to the ground with explosives, swords, and blunt instruments. They were deemed Weapons of Mass Destruction bearing Weapons of Slightly Less than Mass Destruction and the tale of their rampage swept the land, causing those who heard to shiver. Byakuran knew his days were numbered, he just didn't know the numbers.

/*/

Jason laughed to himself as he slipped out of the palace and back to the meeting area for the 'team.' Annette was the first to spot him. She grinned at the look in his eyes. "You found it," she stated. His laughter bubbled out, a look of pure joy on his face. The Goon Squad, who had reluctantly come back, shivered at the sight, even if it did look completely normal. Jason flared his Flame through his eyes again, realizing that he hadn't reapplied that particular intimidation and defensive measure.

"Oh yes! Ah~, I haven't had that much fun in quite a while," he said with a happy, peaceful expression. Annette gave him a fond smile.

"Well well well, look who we have here," a jovial voice ran out, "the true Jason Mhinx." Jason chuckled as his best friend, Daniel Johnson, stepped out of the murk at the back of the alley. Daniel was an impressive sight at the best of times with broad shoulders, thick arms, calculating green eyes, and an impressive array of explosives and weapons of general to mass destruction on his person. However, if you caught him when he didn't have his weapons and was playing with children in the park, you'd just see a great big, blond, laughing teddy bear.

"Daniel! Ready to spread some chaos?" Jason asked, all too happy. Daniel cracked his knuckles, a matching smile on his face.

"What do ya need?" he asked. Jason laughed a truly maniacal laugh.

"We're going in... with a _bang!_ And then, we're getting out... with a _BOOM!_" he answered, mad cackles at the edge of his voice. Annette and Daniel nodded, matching his giddiness with their own. The goons watched in terror until one of them asked The Question.

"So... what do we do?" The three super spies chuckled.

"Bait," they said as one, wicked grins splitting their faces. The goons swallowed heavily. That was one answer they didn't want to hear. Too bad the three spies loved to see their faces pale like a ghost had just popped up and said hey. The Goons were quickly outfitted with smoke bombs, rotten eggs, and a pack of toilet paper. Seeing this, the Goons didn't feel too bad. They got to TP the castle! And then play ninja! This was going to be awesome! Annette, Daniel, and Jason snickered at the looks on the Goons faces. Did they forget they were now bait? Oh well, as long as they did their part and Yuni was liberated, everything was good. With The Goons deployed, the three spies settled into the shadows by a secret passage Jason had been told of by a Black Spell member who seemed to know exactly who the spy really was. Daniel was a little worried about that, but Jason just grinned at him, red eyes glowing in the dark.

"Trust me, the intel's good," he said. And so, they waited for the fireworks to begin. The instant they saw the smoke from the specialty smoke bombs Daniel had made, they darted into the passage and made their way to the dungeons.

/*/

Yuni shivered in the dark. Where was Roul? He said that she was getting out of here today! She froze. What if the nasty white people got him? She heard a shout, a thwack, and then a muffled thump as something heavy hit the ground. Scared, Yuni got as close to the wall of her cell as she could. Then two orbs of blood red burned in the dark. She stuffed her hand in her mouth to keep from screaming out in fear and tried to melt into the wall. "Shush, Princess, don't be scared. I may seem scary, but my glowing eyes help me see in the dark. That's all it is, Princess. Now, I'm going to stand to the side and a nice girl is going to pick the lock on your door and then a big blond teddy bear with a harness of bombs is going to pick you up and then all of us are going to get out of here," a soft, even voice said, a face appearing out of the gloom. Yuni swallowed heavily and then... an elbow slammed into the face-with-glowing-eyes.

"Jason! I told you those freaky red eyes of yours would scare her when you found her! That's why I said _I_ should go first!" a girl's voice chided. The boy, Jason, pouted at the girl.

"Yeah, and then you would have fallen flat on your face from not knowing what was ahead of you. I look scary, I know – heck, that's what I use the glowing-eyes trick for most of the time! – but I really can see better in the dark when I flare my Flame through my eyes!" he whisper-shouted at her. The girl gave an exasperated sigh as she fiddled with the lock on Yuni's door.

"Both of you are right, and both of you are wrong, now can we just focus on getting the Princess out of here and to Mama Lion like the Prince wants?" a new voice asked.

"Teddy?" Yuni asked. A kind, rounded face with sparkling green eyes and dully shining blond hair appeared out of the gloom.

"Well, my name is actually Daniel, but I think Jason was referring to me, yes. I do have a tendency to give that impression to little kids. Then again, I don't usually have my explosives on me when I play with kids so I could be wrong," he said with a smile. Yuni relaxed. Now that she knew the red glow was simply a Storm Flame(she was a very smart girl. Tsu-nii would be so proud!) she wasn't afraid any more. The girl soon let out a pleased sort of noise and the door swung open.

"One open door, delivered!" she said happily. Yuni giggled at the funny girl, and the blond boy, Daniel, picked her up. Jason swiftly and silently made his way to the front of the group, leading the way out of the dungeon in the semi-dark. Once he was sure the other would make it out, he grinned at them and went back in.

"I have something I need to take care of. Go on ahead, I'll meet up with you later!" he called before he vanished. Yuni wasn't too worried. She could feel that Jason 'Red Eye' Mhinx would be just fine. It was whoever got in his way that she felt sorry for.

/*/

While Jason, Annette, and Daniel were getting into position, Marco was juggling rotten eggs while Marcos was eying the walls and trying to find the best way to throw the toilet paper. The other Goons were watching Marco wearily. He had a bad record with juggling. Then, rather suddenly, Marco tossed an egg at the wall. That one action seemed to set off a chain reaction and more and more eggs sailed at the palace, then Marcos started tossing his toilet paper and found that it stuck to the eggs and then they started laughing and making 'art' with the eggs and paper. Then some of the eggs hit some guards and the other three Goons grinned, then grabbed a few eggs and a few smoke bombs and threw them at the guards. In the ensuing chaos, they ran away. Too bad the White Spell members had weapon prototypes from Spanner. Really, it just wasn't fair when they could blow away the smoke in a nanosecond. Not that they knew it was a nanosecond, but a nanosecond is a nanosecond whether you know that's what it's called or not. And so, the five Goons ran for all they were worth, and then some, throwing rotten eggs and smoke bombs at their pursuers in vain attempts to get away. About an hour later, when the Goons were about ready to just give up and get captured, the soldiers fell, knocked out by near invisible darts. "You guys owe me so much, it's only slightly funny," Annette said, tapping her trusty blow gun on her shoulder. They glared at her from their collapsed heap.

"Were you expecting a thank you? You know these Goons are too thick and self-absorbed for that kind of thing," Daniel said as he stepped out to collect the bait. Annette pouted cutely at him.

"I could at least give them a chance to be normal human beings with normal common curtsey!" she huffed. Daniel chuckled.

"Sure~," he said sarcastically. Annette shook her head at the blond, then glanced behind them at the palace in the background.

"Be careful, Jason," she whispered before she followed Yuni, Daniel, and the Goons back to their 'base.'

/*/

Jason wasn't a happy camper. It was cold, it was dark, it was echoy, and he had an uncle he had to save. Why, just _why_, did Roul have to get caught? Wasn't he suppose to be, like, the best at what he did? Oh, yeah, subterfuge _wasn't_ what he did. Hence, Roul got caught slipping him information. Beautiful. "Uncle?" Jason quietly called, hoping that the echos would mask his position should someone try to find him.

"J?" came a faint call back. Jason was elated. Only one person called him 'J' and that was the person he was trying to find.

"Uncle Roul!" he called out happily, nearly skipping down the aisle to stop before the cell occupied by his uncle.

"You had a nephew in the _Chaos Angels!?_" an unfamiliar voice choked in shock. Jason quirked an eyebrow at that. As he stalked closer, now wary, he saw that someone was sharing his uncle's cell.

"And who might you be?" he asked, flaring his Flame just a bit more, his eyes flashing red in the darkness. The second man drew back a little at the flash of red right in front of the door, but stood firm.

"J, this is my partner. Be nice," Roul chastised his nephew. Jason bit back a growl and pulled out some picks.

"I'm not as good at this as Annette, but I should be able to get you out of there in a jiffy," he said, inserting the picks into the lock. Roul smiled at his nephew.

"I don't doubt it, J," he said kindly. Jason sniffed.

"How'd you let yourself get caught anyway? I remember you being pretty sly, in your own way," he said coldly. Roul narrowed his eyes.

"You've become cold, Jason. What happened since last I saw you?" he asked. Jason huffed a laugh, hands never faltering as he worked on the lock.

"Byakuran took over, Uncle Roul."

"It's more than that. Tell me."

"I'm an orphan," Jason deadpanned, pretending not to notice how Roul drew back with a hiss. Mrs. Mhinx had been Roul's favorite sister. His baby sister. His baby sister he had sworn to protect.

"How?" Jason glared at the picks in his hands, his Flame flaring and appearing on his forehead in his anger. He was lucky the Flame didn't light on his hands. He didn't want anyone aside from those closest to him to know about his Storm Flame and desegregating the bars would definitely attract attention. A lot of unwanted attention.

"A stray arrow and some food poisoning. Nothing could have been done. It's been four years since mom died, and nine since dad. I'm... almost through it. Don't worry," he bit out, flicking a glance at the White Spell member in the cell. Roul sighed.

"Yuni got to him. He's good," he said. Jason snarled.

"And that's the only reason I'm going to allow him to leave this cell, Uncle. However, you and Yuni vouching for him only gets him civil treatment, not friendliness," he hissed. Roul sighed. Beggars can't be choosers. Soon, Jason was leading the two soldiers out of the dungeon the way he had come. Once the two older men were out, Jason vanished along the wall.

"What's he doing?" Roul's partner hissed. Roul grinned.

"He's going out with a BOOM," he said softly, running in the direction of a poof of green smoke that was quickly being blown away.

"And you're sure that he'll be fine?"

"Positive. That boy isn't one to die easy."

"So... spy nephew in the Chaos Angels huh?"

"Yep."

"Cool." Roul snickered.

"You didn't think so the first time you saw him, Elik," he said, grinning at the white clad soldier. Elik sneered.

"He's a _Chaos Angel!_ And not just any Chaos Angel, he's _Red Eyes!_ Haven't you heard the stories about him? You don't see him come, you don't see him leave, and by the time you do see him, it's too late," he said. Roul sighed.

"Then where do the stories come from?"

"The people he robs blind. They see a pair of red, glowing eyes, a flash of white from a toothy smile, and then he's gone with their weapons, money, and food," Elik answered flatly. Roul sighed.

"And what do all these people have in common besides being robbed by Red Eyes?" he asked. Elik opened his mouth, then his eyes went wide and he closed it. Slowly, he said,

"They supported Byakuran." Roul nodded, a smug look on his face.

"Jason's a good boy, if a bit... rambunctious. He's always been quite and fast, he just turned to crimes such as these once he was chucked out on the streets by cruel fate. I had been drifting farther from my family, so he didn't even think to come to me for help. Don't be too hard on the boy. He was born for this kind of work, Elik. Be glad he found a mostly positive outlet for his skills," he said, defending his boy. Elik sighed, but let it go. Roul was infuriating to argue with.

/*/

Jason was giddy. He got to bomb the palace and lead the White Spell on a chase! Ah, Christmas had come early. "Yolo!" he called out before dropping several cherry bombs in front of some random guards on a random wall fifty feet from where his uncle was then flipping over them and running away. Laughing. They quickly gave chase. What followed was one of the most epic chases Giglio Nero had ever seen. Yes, it even out shone the chase the Goons lead. This one lasted all day. At least, that's what the soldiers thought. Jason slipped onto the roofs after the first hour and watched the soldiers run around like headless chickens for about three hours, then decided it was too tame and jumped down into an alley one of the groups was about to pass, then darted out and lead them around for another two hours, then went back to the rooftops and just tossed a bomb here and there when the soldiers started slowing down. By the time Jason got back to the base, he had lost his voice from laughing so hard. Roul shook his head.

"I could hear the shouts and explosions from here, Jason. What did you do?" he asked. Jason chuckled, then placed a hand to his throat with a wince. The Goons were on him in an instant.

"The Demon has lost his voice! Oh, what's wrong, choke on your own smoke?" Jason glared, flaring his Flame and baring his teeth. Roul beat him to the punch, smacking the Goon upside the head.

"Jason has been through a lot today, child. Let him rest." Jason gave his uncle a thankful look, then slunk off to his bunk and slept like a dead thing. Let someone else deal with the mess, he was done.

/?/

A/N: and so the rescue has been made! What did you think of my Ocs? I had quite a bit of fun writing them. Next up... Versetck and Nana!

Proverbs 4:20-21

"My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words.Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;"


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:**__Only the plot and some bunny fluff is mine. Everything else... nope!

**Chapter 14:** A Conclusion of a Rescue and a Fight

Tsuna glared. Iemitsu swallowed. The wood clacked. "Yeha! I win!" Tsuna cheered, pumping his fists in the air. Iemtisu's head fell forward. Hayato shook his head.

"Give it up. No-one could beat him at chess even when I was still at the palace. I'd say he's gotten better since then," he said. Iemitsu slumped even further. Tsuna laughed.

"I should hope I've gotten better! Hayato, the only people you saw me play were the palace children. The staff and the guards could always best me, and the only reason I beat the kids is because I had the best teacher," he said. Hayato's brow furrowed in thought.

"Who was you chess teacher again?" he asked.

"Skull," Tsuna answered with a grin. Hayato spit out the water he had been about to swallow.

"Skull? Skull's a _chess master?!_" he asked in disbelief. Tsuna laughed heartily at his friend's face.

"Well, he's not exactly the 'fight to the death' type like Reborn nor the 'take them down hard and fast' type like Fon now is he? He and Luce are strategists, though they still pack quite a punch when they need to." Takeshi shook his head.

"Now I _really_ wish I had known Tsuna when we were younger," he said. Tsuna laughed.

"It wasn't all that brilliant, Takeshi. I wasn't all that brilliant either. To be honest, I'm not sure why the Strongest Seven stuck with me as long as they did. I mean, I was the least likely person to be doing this. All the others were bigger, stronger, smarter, and more intimidating that me." Tsuna paused, looking off into the distance as he pondered his lot in life. "Actually, now that I sit and think about it, I think I was the closest Heir to Reborn, enabling him to quickly get to me and then kick me out. And behind the gruff exterior, Reborn cares. I think, maybe, he wanted to get the weakest out of the way. Then again," he made a rather intriguing face, "the Strongest Seven may just have wanted to get me out of the way so at least one Heir would be alive once they finished in the Palace." Reborn smirked.

"You really think I'd chose the weakest to room next to? Baka. I chose you because I knew what you could be," he said. Tsuna sighed, seeing the adult Reborn behind the infant.

"Reborn... even if you're lying, which I'm not saying you are... thanks," he said with a small smile, a devious edge hidden in it. Reborn felt a shiver run up his spine at the sight. Yes, this was the successor of the Sky Crown. This was the king he had been training for years. This was the true Tsunayoshi de la Vongola.

/*/

Yuni blinked. "Man, Red Eyes is a beast," Goon #1 groused. Goon #3 nodded.

"Yeah, he had those soldiers running all over the _entire day!_ I don't care if he did rest out of their sight for a while, that guy's a monster!" Yuni sighed.

"J good! No monster!" she yelled, bunching her little fists. The Goons turned to her in confusion.

"Eh? Why would you say that?" they asked.

"Save! J save me! J promiss Tsu-nii!" Annette smirked.

"Ah~! That's right. Jason 'Red Eyes' Mhinx promised her that he'd take her to the Prince," she said. The Goons blinked.

"The Prince?"

"Crown Prince Tsunayoshi de la Vongola, who is rampaging down from northern Vongola to defeat Byakuran," Annette clarified. The Goons paled.

"Tsu-nii!" Yuni cheered as Annette picked her up.

"Yes, Princess Yuni. Your Tsu-nii asked me and my friends to break you out and take you to his mother." The Goons sighed.

"Why did he have to promise that?" they asked.

"I didn't volunteer _you_, if that's what you mean," a cold, flat voice said from the back of the room. The Goons jumped in fright.

"RED EYES!" He sniffed disdainfully, then yawned widely.

"Shut up, Goons. You woke me," he said, glaring at the shaking Goons.

"Ah! We're sorry! We didn't mean to! Please forgive us, Red Eyed Demon Jason-sama!" they chorused, bowing deeply.

"Che, you aren't worth my time," Jason sneered. He looked over at Yuni, and his face softened slightly. "Your Highness," he bowed slightly, "would you like to come into the back? It's much quieter there," he said. Roul smirked and knelt beside Yuni.

"J is really a good boy. You can trust him, Princess," he said kindly. Yuni smiled widely.

"Okay, J!" she said cheerfully. Jason smiled softly at her, holding out a hand. The Goons were gobsmacked, as was Elik. Who knew Jason could smile like that? Jason lead the little princess into the back of the base and to a bed.

"I'm tired, so I bet you are too. Here, you can rest here. I'll be..." Before he could say 'over here,' Yuni had pulled him down on the cot with her and cuddled up like he was a teddy bear.

"Night, night, Jason," she said softly before falling asleep. At first he was surprised, but then he smiled a true smile and held her close as he slept.

"Good night, Princess." Roul peeked in on the two and smiled.

"Sleep well Princess, you have a new protector. I know Jason will never let anyone harm you as long as he is near."

/*/

It was a bright day, but Tsuna was agitated. Takeshi came up behind him. "What's the matter, Tsuna?" he asked. The fluffy haired brunette sighed.

"He's coming for me, Takeshi. Xanxus is coming for me." Takeshi sighed.

"Are you worried, Tsuna?" he asked. Tsuna bowed his head, resting it on the window sill.

"It's _Xanxus_, Takeshi. Remember how it felt when you were about to go up against the regional champion when your team was having an off season? Or when you were facing your all time rivals when you got slaughtered every time? That's what it's like for me to face Xanxus in a fight. And I have to get _two_ rings. Xanxus holds the Cloud Ring as well, since Varia has no Cloud Pillar. Takeshi... do you think I can win?" The swordsman rubbed the back of his head in thought.

"Well... I've never seen Xanxus fight," he said, causing Tsuna to sigh heavily. Then Takeshi looked up and grinned. "But I have seen you fight! And I think that when the time comes, you'll defeat the opponent and hit a home run!" Tsuna shook his head with a fond smile.

"I'll take that as a, 'yes, Tsuna, I think you can beat him!' then," he said cheerfully, but Reborn, watching from the rafters(sneaky little baby!), could hear the fear still hidden in his student's voice. Takeshi smiled and put a hand on Tsuna's shoulder.

"No, that's an, 'I think you'll blow him away.' You're stronger than you think, my Prince," he said before walking away. Tsuna sighed and looked back out the window, contemplating his upcoming battle with the infamous leader of the Varia. Hayato saw his prince staring vacantly over the land and sighed. He knew how hard this was going to be for his prince. Xanxus had both terrorized and completed Tsunayoshi's childhood. The older male was tough, domineering, and more bi-polar than Reborn, who would shoot you then say he didn't hate you, and caused Tsuna to both break out into shaking sobs and golden peals of laughter. To fight against the man who both scared and comforted you... it was going to be tough.

/*/

Yuni woke to find herself held close to a dark figure. At first she was sacred, but then she remembered what had happened the night before and cuddled closer. "Jason," she breathed. "My protector." He shifted, holding her a little tighter, his breath catching slightly. She giggled, then sat up. Or tried to at least. Jason, while not as strong as Daniel, was still a rather fit young man and his arms held her fast. However, her movement did wake him. He yawned and stretched, releasing the little princess. She giggled. "Jason cat!" she said happily. He blinked blearily at her, then suddenly his eyes cleared and he flipped out of the bed.

"I'm not a cat, Princess. Now go get washed up, we leave in twenty minutes and eat on the road," he said, tugging his shirt straight. She watched him go with a confused look.

"Don't worry about it, Yuni. Jason's just... not a morning person. He truly cares about you," Annette said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at the girl who opened her door and set her free.

"Why is he so mean?" she asked. Annette gave her a sad look.

"He has had a... difficult life. He may not have been locked up like you were, but in his mind, up here," she tapped her own head, "he was trapped." Yuni looked back to where Jason had gone and wondered just what had happened in his life? Shaking the thought from her head and followed after Jason. Soon, everyone who was going was packed and ready. Yuni was super excited to see Nana again. She had missed the older woman as much as her Tsu-nii. Jason was just glad to get away from the Goon Squad. They weren't as fun to torment as they once were. They were so scared of him now they practically bowed down before him. It took them five days to get to Keile, but Yuni was an exceptionally well behaved child. When they arrived, the town was in chaos. Jason grinned.

"You're in your element here, aren't you?" Daniel chuckled, seeing the way Jason's eye lit red.

"Oh, I like this lady," he said, looking at one of the wall messages that still burned.

"NANA!" Yuni giggled, reaching for the burning letters. Jason took her hand and lead her further into the city, to one of the only stores unscathed.

"Chaos, friend, and fair weather to ye," Daniel said, tipping his feathered hat. Where the young man had found a feathered hat the likes of which you would expect a fairytale pirate to have none of the party knew, but he had it. The cashier, a crisp no-nonsense woman with graying hair, nodded and lead them into the back room. Once there, she shimmered and mist fell away from her to reveal,

"NANA!" Yuni grinned, dashing toward her. The now-smiling woman scooped the happy, slightly grimy, little Princess into her arms.

"Yuni, you little pearl! Where you good for... who are you gentlemen?" she said, holding Yuni.

"Daniel Johnson, at your service," Daniel said, bowing low once more.

"Jason Mhinx, ma'am. And might I say, I like your style," Jason said, his eyes flashing red once more. Nana was a little put off by the light, then realized that he was the boy she had heard of, the one practically born in dieing will mode.

"Annette De'Loren, Madam," Annette said, sweeping the now giggling woman a curtsy.

"Well, if this is the quality of the Chaos Angels, Engel certainly does good work. I have a feeling many of the Chaos Angels will find themselves employed as spies under Spy Master Engel," she said. Jason shook his head.

"Engel, from what I have heard, wants to be a lawyer. I doubt she would take the position," he said. Nana shook her head, but accepted his words. Just then, a pigeon came swooping in and landed in it's cage. She opened the note, then handed it to Jason.

"It's for you, from my son," she said. Yuni perked up.

"Tsu-nii?" she asked. Jason took the scrap of paper and read it out to the group.

"_'Chaos, friends, and fair weather to ye. I have a village I need looked over. Versteck, a village of refugees. If the Angel would trust you with Little Sky, I can trust you with my People. May the Wind be strong beneath your Wings, Wanderer.'_ Well then, let's see what we can do for Versteck."

"It's a week out of Pioggia Vale, headed toward Namimori. They speak Deutsch," Nana told them. They nodded, then asked if they could stay the night to stock up on supplies and rest before their second trip. Nana smiled and nodded, even offering them a temporary job in her store to help pay for the supplies they would need to bring with them to Versteck. They happily accepted and stayed three days before taking their pay and buying blankets, grains, seeds, and travel foods and then heading out to Versteck.

/*/

While Jason, Annette, and Daniel were escorting Yuni and preparing to travel to Versteck, Tsuna was preparing to fight Xanxus. Two days after their arrival in Pioggia Vale, Tsuna met his 'big brother' under the same tree the Rain Battle had started under. "So, you and me this time. If I win, will you give up your claim to the throne and hand over the Ring of the Sky to me along with the Ring of the Cloud?" Tsuna said, sensing Xanxus approaching through the darkness behind him.

"Like I would lose to you, Trash," Xanxus growled as he stopped just behind the brunette. Tsuna sighed, shoulders dropping.

"Then why aren't you doing anything? Why aren't you fighting to free us from Byakuran? He is harsh, unjust, and abusive. Our people are suffering, Xanxus. They need to be liberated, but the only way to liberate them, is to give them a proper King, one who will listen and give aid. That is what I am trying to be, but I can't unless I have the Rings. You had them, you and your men, but you did not use them to save our kingdom. So I ask you again. Why aren't you doing anything?" he asked, voice soft and low, defeated. Xanxus scoffed.

"You could never be the King this kingdom needs, Trash. My hands were tied." Tsuna scoffed back.

"With what? Death threats? You're strong enough to just laugh those off and do what you want anyway. Timeto told you not to? Since when did you listen to Grandfather? Iemitsu told you not to? I find that even more unlikely than Timeto. Reborn threatened to shot you? Okay... I might understand that one, but all the same. You are not the kind to 'have their hands tied' unless it's in the literal sense and even then it would need to be some heavy duty chain," he said. Xanxus growled.

"Trash... you're pushing it."

"I need those Rings, Xanxus. Whether you're willing or not, I will leave here with them in my hand."

"Fight me for them, Trashy Brat."

"That's what I came here for, Xanxus," Tsuna said, resigned and yet filled with determination. That was when Xanxus saw that the Prince was wearing his gloves, and they were glowing orange. He had only just enough time to jump out of the way when a blast of super pure Sky Flames came roaring toward his face.

"You've gotten better, Trash," Xanxus said, sounding emotionless but actually highly surprised. The last time he had seen the boy, he hadn't been able to sense people or call out his Flame unless in a life or death situation. _'Perhaps this is a life or death situation to the brat,'_ Xanxus thought as he dodged a Flame powered punch. Tsuna smirked slightly, blond hair dancing in the sea breeze coming off the not so distant harbor.

"Did you think I wouldn't?" Tsuna asked, driving back down to earth, right knee leading. Xanxus dodged again, then couldn't help but stare at the small crater the slight Prince had left in the ground.

"I didn't think you'd get this _freaking __strong_," Xanxus said, his voice betraying his shock. Tsuna sighed, shaking out his leg a bit.

"I blame Reborn. Freaking sadist trying to kill me every hour, getting myCloud Pillar to try and kill me every five hours. Freaking baby sics my Rain Pillar on me at least once a day, my Mist twice. Freaking sadistic hitman baby tutor from the darkest pits of the Underworld," he said, trailing off into muttering. Xanxus saw his chance and charged up his specialty guns with his super destructive Flame, the Flame of Wrath, which was the Flame of the King mixed with Storm Flames. He raised the fully charged guns and fired several high power shots, but when the dust settled, Tsuna wasn't there, not even as a smoking corpse. "Really, Xan-xan? Attacking a man when he's grumbling about his _evil_ tutor? For shame!" Tsuna retorted, reappearing behind the startled assassin. Xanxus growled and spun around, firing his X-guns at the point from which he heard the voice, but Tsuna evaded once more, flying into the air then bearing down on Xanxus form the left. Punch, kick, dodge to the left, Flame blast, roll to the right, deflect Flame shot, X-Burner to the right shoulder, punch, kick, feint to the right, knee to the stomach, dodge above, and Burning Axle to the back; Xanxus fell defeated after a furious hour long fight.

"You... win... Scum," Xanxus wheezed, pulling out the two Rings in his possession. Tsuna took them with a nod, then looked to the right.

"Ryohei, come help him," the Prince said, rolling his defeated foe onto his stomach so that Ryohei could get at the burns on his back. Xanxus snarled, but a quick chop to the base of the neck from Tsuna knocked him out. "He'll wake sooner than we'd like, so it'd be best to move quick," he said. Ryohei nodded and worked as fast as he could without harming the assassin. While his Sun Pillar was working on the unconscious Xanxus, Tsuna wandered over to the tree he was fairly sure Hibari was sitting.

"Omnivore," came a cold voice as Tsuna looked up into the branches. He smiled.

"Carnivore," he acknowledged.

"You can fight."

"Did you think I couldn't?"

"... Hn."

"I want you to have this. It will help you in the long run," Tsuna said, flicking the Cloud Ring into the tree. "Cloud Pillars have always been a force unto themselves. Take over the External Corp., start your own division, or just enforce the laws in Namimori, I don't really care. I just want to know that, when I need a carnivore, you'll be there," he said, hoping Hibari would accept.

"Hn, only if you spar with me." Tsuna sighed and leaned back against the tree, his head lolling back.

"Once all this is over and done and the kingdoms have been put to rights, you'll have your spar."

"Daily."

"Monthly."

"Every two days."

"Bi-weekly."

"Weekly."

"Done," Tsuna smiled up at his Cloud Pillar's faint profile before dragging himself toward Takesushi. "Ryohei, take Xanxus to the inn and pay them to continue medical aid with this would you?" he said, tossing a rather heavy bag to the boxer. "It's the money we found in the Soldier's Quarter that had been sent by Byakuran." Ryohei grinned and did as his Prince requested. He too saw the irony in using Byakuran's money to aid his enemies. Once Tsuna got back to Takesushi, he collapsed into the bed Tsuyoshi had let him use and slept for the rest of the night and half the day. Ryohei came in about an hour before he woke up and helped speed up the healing for the multitude of scratches and burns the brunette had received.

"You are far more extreme than you know, Prince Tsunayoshi de la Vongola, Shining Knight of Vongola."

/*/

Iemitsu stared at the paper sitting oh-so-innocently in front of him. "What?" came his intelligent response to the black words on the crisp white paper.

"Do you accept?" Tsunayoshi asked, sipping the tea Tsuyoshi had so graciously provided the still healing prince. Iemitsu ran his hand through his hair, still staring at the paper. What was it that caused this mighty warrior to be so befuddled while his son sat prim and proper sipping green tea in front of him and speaking as though he were already king? Why, official orders from the Crown Prince to his Knight Commander of course.

_Lord Sawada Iemitsu de la Vongola,_

_His Royal Highness, Prince Tsunayoshi de la Vongola, Crown Prince of the Vongolian Kingdom, requests your aid at the village of Versteck, Two-Hundred and Twenty miles north of Pioggia Valle. Take blankets, food, and whatever building materials you can carry to the village of Versteck to aid the refugees who have made it their new home. A squad of Chaos Angels shall meet you there._

And as if that rather formal order wasn't enough, Tsunayoshi was waiting for an answer with a cold, indifferent look on his face while swathed in bandages. Iemitsu sighed, but took the order, rose, and bowed his way out. Tsuna smirked once his father had left the room. "You can come out now, Chrome," he said softly. His female Mist Pillar let her illusion drop with a sheepish look her face.

"I'm sorry, Sire. I just..." she trailed off as Tsuna stood with a kind smile.

"Shush, Chrome. I have taken you under my wing as a little sister. It is only natural you wish to see our father. I admit, I had not wanted you to have to see him when I was cross, but what is, is and we can do very little about it. All we can do is look to the future and hope to change it for the better," he said. She nodded, feeling a bit better. Tsuna smiled and then laid back down to rest, feeling drained by the confrontation and the fight the previous night. After tucking her Prince and friend in, Chrome drifted back to where the others, even Hibari, were gathered.

"He's resting now. His father took it out of him," she said. Reborn looked just barely worried. Tsuna shouldn't have been that drained from his fight with Xanxus. Then a thought hit him.

"How many nights has that boy been sitting up?" he asked quietly, though the whole room heard. Gokudera paled while Takeshi's head fell into his hands.

"I... haven't seen him sleep more than three hours since Mammon showed up, to the extreme," the boxer said, unusually quiet. Lambo appeared much more grave and serious than anyone had known him to be.

"I've seen Tsuna-nii cradling Chrome-nee's head as she sleeps when I need to get up in the night. Chrome-nee always looked more peaceful than scared like she usually is so I let them be," he said. Mukuro gave his usual creepy laugh, though his face seemed a bit more worried now.

"I've heard him moving around the camp, whispering soothing words as he moves among the sleeping forms," he said. Hibari nodded.

"He's always awake before dawn," he added. Reborn sighed.

"Selfless idiot. He's been overworking himself. His fight with Xanxus was likely longer and harder than it should have been. The brat is stronger than he thinks, and many believe. Byakuran doesn't know what he has crafted with this coup of his," he said, shaking his head. "Chrome, Mukuro, please... make sure he sleeps peacefully. And Yamamoto... make sure that he has a decent meal when he wakes up. The kid needs good food and deep sleep to recover from this." The three Pillars and the aging sushi chef nodded, more than willing to complete the tasks given to them. Tsunayoshi was going to be pampered until he began to whine and then some when he woke up. It was only what he deserved after all.

/*/

Yuni was incredibly happy living with Nana, it was true, but she did miss her own mother as well as her Tsu-nii. Nana, drawing from the absolutely adorable child now in her care, struck at Byakuran wherever and whenever she could with the righteous fury only a mother could produce. Soon, Keile was completely under the control of Vongolian citizens who wore the crest of their King proudly upon their sleeves. When news reached Engel of this, she was well pleased. Then again, this was the mother of the soon to be King so it was only to be expected. Nana, to her credit, stopped going out at night when Byakuran's forces 'surrendered' and spent as much time as she could with Yuni, who was quickly recovering from her year in the Giglio Nero dungeon. The Mist wielding mother was happy to see the little girl her son had claimed as a sister laughing and playing in the garden, even if illusions hid her true identity. It was taxing, holding the illusions in place all day, but it was necessary. "Nana Nana! Look what I found!" Yuni shouted with glee, running up to the softly smiling woman.

"Oh! What is it?" she asked. Yuni held out her hands and showed her caretaker a little shiny rock. "Ah! A piece of amber!" Nana said happily.

"It's for Tsu-nii!" Yuni said brightly. Nana smiled at the beautiful little girl in front of her.

"Well then, what do you say we clean it up for him? Do you think he'd like it on a string?"

"Leather and silver!" Yuni said excitedly.

"A necklace?" Nana asked, and received a nod. "Well then, lets get started!" Yuni cheered and dashed inside to clean up. Nana looked at the small piece of amber in her hand. "Ah~! Tsu-kun, you are such a good boy." Her hand curled into a fist, the edges of the amber digging into her skin. "Come home, son. Come home," she demanded as she looked to the south-east, her eyes glowing indigo as her Flame reacted to her emotions.

/*/

Jason quirked an eyebrow at the man. "You're joking." Iemitus shifted, the large pack on his back clanking. "You're not joking." The rather worn looking man gave a shaky smile. Jason sighed. "Well then let's not waste time. Get over there and sort out your supplies then go rest. You start work in the morning. Oh, and somehow the Prince sent a message concerning this town. It is now under my protection and anyone who follows the Prince answers to me, no matter their age or... former... position. Is that understood, Iemitsu?"

"Yes," Iemitsu sighed, setting about doing as he was told. It was going to be a long couple of weeks. He could already tell. In the morning, Jason woke him with a Flame powered punch to the gut.

"Rise and shine, princess, we've got work to do if we want this place habitable and secure. They've already had to weather a winter here, and they nearly died. It's our job to see them through another winter," Jason said as he began walking out the door. Iemitsu sighed. Yep. Long week. "Oh, and the Prince sent another letter. We found it in your supplies. You're to stay here indefinitely. His exact words were, 'Iemitsu is to remain in Versteck until such a time as he is needed.' Looks like he wants you where he can 'see' you," Jason called back. Iemitsu sighed an even heavier sigh. Forget week, it was going to be a long few years, judging by Tsuna's displeasure with him.

"Better get to work then, huh?" he said as he stood. Jason, from outside the door, smirked.

_'Oh, Prince, how _kind_ you are to give me such a _worker_!'_ He walked away chuckling evilly. This was a kind of revenge he had no problems with. Humiliate the perpetrator until he accepts his lot and get something worthwhile out of it. It was a win-win... for the victim! Unless the perpetrator changes his ways due to the punishment, then it's a win-win-win for all parties.

/**/

A/N: So now all the little subplots are wrapping up, the Rings and Pillars have been gathered, villagers are being looked after, little girls have been rescued, negligent fathers have had their comeuppance, and Tsuna's being pampered. How long will this almost-peace last? Well... let's just say a certain Marshmallow better watch his back!


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

Aria was not normally one to gloat, but at this time she couldn't help it. She had too. Yuni was gone, Roul was gone, Elik was gone, the Prince had made an example of Pioggia Valle's Soldier's Quarter and was now making his way to the palace, no doubt leaving a trail of broken White Spell soldiers behind him, and Byakuran was on edge and was nearly a nervous wreak, though he some how managed to turn that around and make it a part of his eccentric ruler persona. Still, she grinned at him in a rather predatory fashion. Oh! it was so good to see him sweat and moan under the pressure of his three kingdoms! She would let Tsunayoshi push him over the edge. All she wanted was a box seat and a bag of popcorn before retrieving her daughter from Keile.

/*/

Tsuna glared halfheartedly at his Pillars. They had left Pioggia Vale nearly a week ago, but they were still treating him like he was made of glass. "Guys, we're in the middle of the woods. You can stop treating me like I'm a King in a castle!" he said. Reborn smirked as the Prince's Pillars ignored his protests and insisted that he sit while they do the work. Even Lambo was working. Tsuna's glare intensified. "I was fully healed nine days ago! Let me help!" he fussed.

"No," they all said as one, never pausing in their work. Reborn began to chuckle, and the sound drew Tsuna's ire to him.

"You put them up to this, didn't you?" he hissed.

"Put who up to what?" Reborn asked, pulling up his perfected 'innocent child' act. Tsuna gave him an honest to goodness glare.

"_Reborn_! Do not. Test. Me. I _know_ you know what I'm talking about and I am fairly sure you also had _something_ to do with it. So tell me, _did you put them up to this?_" he growled. Reborn felt a shiver run down his back. He had only ever gotten this feeling when the blond version of his student showed up. This wasn't the blond. This was a severely put out brunette who's eyes were a dark amber.

"They decided on their own, I had nothing to do with it." Tsuna's eyes narrowed slightly. "I swear!"

"Fine. Just get them to stop. I've had enough of being useless," he said, only slightly mollified. Reborn let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. The next day, they cam across a group of soldiers wearing the white suits of Byakuran's army. Tsuna grinned at them with narrowed eyes. As one, a shiver went down their backs. "Wrong road, gentlemen. Wrong road," he said before flying at them. His friends didn't even have enough time to react to his sudden movement before the soldiers were knocked out. "Now do you believe me?" Tsuna asked as he turned back to his Pillars and traveling companions. They nodded. He was defiantly capable of looking after himself again. It wasn't long before they entered Aufhören. Tsuna headed straight for the market, keen on trading the furs he had collected from the rabbits and what not he shot and prepared as food for bread, herbs, berries, and other useful items. As he walked around, trying to find someone willing to buy his rather common furs, people whispered in his wake. He tried to ignore it, but they just spoke louder. Whispers about the last time he was there, the trouble he and Ryohei had caused at the inn, the difference in the way he walked, the furs on his back. Finally, he couldn't stand it any longer and dropped the furs, turning to face everyone who was whispering behind his back. "Yes, my traveling companion caused a ruckus at the inn the last time we were here, yes I was a bit smaller, yes I walk with a bit more confidence, and yes I'm looking to trade furs. It's been almost two years since I passed through here! Of course things are going to be a bit different! I've been traveling pretty much all of those two years. I've found refugees, I've fought, I've bled, I've raged, I might have even killed as I freed my father from the Soldier's Quarters in Pioggia Vale. Heck, I faced down Hibari of Namimori! I challenge you to think of one person who could go through all of that, and watching as the only friends you have fight for their lives, and not come out changed. Now, it would be greatly appreciated if you would stop it with the whispers and maybe, oh, I don't know, help me out? I need someone who's interested in furs, can any of you give me a recommendation?" he said, glaring mildly at the shell shocked crowd. Some of them pointed to the north west. Tsuna smiled, a rather dangerous looking smile but a smile nonetheless, nodded and then headed in that direction. The whispers stopped.

/*/

The others mostly stayed together, though Mukuro, Chrome, and Hibari separated off. Hayato took Lambo and Ryohei to see if they could get a room at a decent inn. Or rather, two or three rooms. Takeshi followed along, laughing at the three when they argued and making Hayato spit and snarl at him. Mukuro pretended to vanish, leaving Hibari with Chrome, who shyly asked if Hibari would like to find the park with her. Hibari gave a noncommittal 'hn' and Chrome strode off, slightly downcast. Until she found the Skylark following her. She spared herself a small smile at that. So, he really did care. Then she stopped herself. No. She was reading too much into it. He just wanted to go to the park and sit in a tree, silently assessing, categorizing, and mentally battling everyone he saw. She sighed. Her hidden, overprotective, illusionist twin sighed. Their hidden tutor sighed. Hibari's eyebrow twitched. "Herbivore girl, what's wrong?" he asked. Chrome jumped slightly, then blushed softly.

"I... I was thinking... that... maybe... you... cared," she said. Hibari, though he was irritated slightly by the halting speech, couldn't help but think,

_'Cute. Like a little kitten. Must. Pet. Head.'_ However, he held himself back and simply let out a sigh.

"I-I know that... I'm... over thinking but... if you did... I'd... like it," Chrome added. Hibari mentally perked up at that. His traitorous thoughts started up again.

_'The kitten likes me! Cute, soft little kitten, let me pick you up and love you and feed you and help you grow into a magnificent predator!'_ He shook himself so vigorously in his mind scape that his head moved a little physically. "Ki... Herbivore, you aren't over thinking," he said. Chrome looked up in shock, then smiled at him. A faint, very faint, blush appeared on Hibari's cheeks at the sight and he quickly leapt into the closest tree. Chrome giggled softly, like she always did everything, and continued walking toward the bench with a slight bounce in her step. Mukruo fought with himself. Hibari battled a blush. Reborn smirked.

"Well done, my student," he said and even he couldn't have told you which student he meant.

/*/

Tsuna arrived at the inn to find it in a state of perfect chaos. Groaning, he knew there was only one explanation. At least Ryohei was there. Likely Hayato and or Lambo as well. Joy. Taking a deep breath, Tsuna yelled, "HAYATO GOKUDERA! RYOHEI SASAGAWA! I KNOW YOU'RE HERE, COME OUT!" Two shamefaced Pillars skidded to a stop in front of him, but chaos still reigned. He sighed. "Who else?" Hayato and Ryohei knew exactly what he meant and winced slightly.

"Takeshi and Lambo," Hayato mumbled. Tsuna sighed, shaking his head.

"Of course. It couldn't have been simple, now could it?" he muttered before bringing his head up, eyes blazing. Hayato and Ryohei dove out the door. An angry Tsuna was a dangerous thing. "La~mbo~! Take~shi~! Come out, come out, and _play~_!" he called out. Shivers ran down the spines of those who heard him. A Vongola using a sing-song voice was never good. Takeshi dragged Lambo in front of Tsuna, dreading what was to come. "Well now, what have we here?"

"Lambo started it," Takeshi said. Tsuna quirked an eyebrow and Takeshi felt a tingle of fear.

"I don't care who started it, I only care about _why_ it started and _how_ to _finish it_," Tsuna hissed. The two hung their heads and Tsuna sighed. "Clean up your mess and apologize to the workers. I'll send in Hayato and Royhei to do their part as well. And tonight... we're going to have a _discussion_," he said. All four swallowed heavily. 'Discussion' could mean a lot of things.

/*/

Tsuna gave his friends and companions a searching look. "Guys... we're only about a day, possibly only half a day if we hurry, away from Sol Levante, which is about the same distance from the Palace. Soldiers are going to become more numerous on the road. What are we going to do about it?" he said. The Pillars looked at each other, the other two boys shifting uncomfortably. This wasn't what they had expected. This wasn't what they expected at all.

"Bite them to death," Hibari said matter-of-factually. Tsuna gave him a deadpan look, before something like revelation overcame his features.

"You know what... that sounds like the perfect idea! We'd get real life experience against the weaker fighters currently in the kingdom, find our rhythm, _and_ scare the heck out of _Baka_yuran all at once," he said. The others nodded, some with sadistic smiles, others with nervousness, one or two with apathy, and the rest with grim anticipation. "Rest up, we hit the road before dawn and any soldiers we can find along the way. Mukuro, Chrome, would you like to go ahead and beside us? With your command of illusions, you could make it look as though we are together as well as hide yourselves," he said. He received a vicious grin from Mukuro and a shy nod from Chrome. Tsuna smiled at them, then shooed his Pillars to their rooms. They had a busy week ahead.

/*/

Koichi Yamane was a simple man. A son, a brother, a soldier, and an avid student of herbs. This made him the perfect person for the position of assistant field medic. He was not weak, but he wasn't particularly strong either, especially in mind. This was his downfall. All his knowledge of herbs and field treatments and weapons and the human body could help him in the fight that came upon him mere moments after the news that the Prince was undeniable headed his way reached him. It wasn't the Prince. It was his Vanguard. It started as a light mist raising from the forest floor. Then it thickened, distorting the world around the camp. Sounds were muted and no-one could see a thing. Then came the moaning and the crying and the wailing and the gnashing of teeth in the murky darkness. Vines grew out of the ground and ensnared their legs. Visions of zombies, comrades lost to war or disease raising form the ground, blaming those who had seen their final moments. Screams of terror and pain, the blubbering admissions of the guilty and the shamed, and the muted thumps of bodies fitting the forest floor echoed around them. Koichi held out for longer than most would have expected him to, but the sight of his baby sister shuffling toward him, blood running down her face and dirt pouring from her mouth, her voice a breathy whisper as she told him he had killed her, condemned her by supporting Byakuran... it was too much. With a strangled cry of fear, guilt, and shame, Koichi fell. First his knees hit the leaves, then he fell forward onto his hands. In a final act of conscious thought, Koichi fell to his side and curled up. He then dissolved into whimpers and half formed phrases that chased each other round and round like a macabre merry-go-round. When the last soldier had fallen, reduced to quivering lumps of flesh, a single figure stepped into the camp. "You lost... because I was your opponent," the young man said, picking his way through his handy work. Personally, Mukuro would have liked for there to have been more blood shed, but his Prince had been clear. No bloody stuff until he said so. With a huff, Mukuro went to the command tent and picked up the most recent letters before returning to the prince. Tsuna looked up in anticipation and was not disappointed. Mukuro dropped a thick stack of letters in his lap. Giving a nod to the illusionist, Tsuna vanished into his tent to read in peace. An hour later, he came out grinning like Reborn.

"They underestimate us. They believe us to be nothing more than a gaggle of foolish children. Let us prove them wrong. Aim to maim, but do not kill. I'd rather we didn't kill just yet," he said. The more bloodthirsty of the group joined him in his creepy grinning. Now, it was getting fun.

/*/

Five days, thirteen outposts, ten messengers, ten assailants, seven three feet tall stacks of reports, bills, letters, and general papery evilness, and one gleeful Queen did not make Byakuran a happy King. It had only been five days! How could that so-called Prince have done so much since his sighting in Aufhören? And there was the disturbing matter of the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth outposts. The first three hit had been completely wiped out, but there was no blood that hadn't been spilt by the soldiers themselves. Each soldier was in differing states of madness and some had apparently committed suicide then deal with the demons in their heads. And the ones who had lived spoke of an evil mist that turned the world into shifting darkness. Then there were the 'messengers' from the other attacks. They were not the only survivors, merely the least injured and even then, they were covered in wounds that, while superficial, were draining. They told tales of grinning wolf-men, blank faced yo-yo wielders, laughing swordsmen, scowling bombers, and smirking pineapples. Oh, and here and there tales of flaming marshmallows raining down on the camp cropped up, but they were few and far between. Honestly, flaming marshmallows? Who attacks with flaming marshmallows? _Prince Tsunayoshi de la Vongola, enemy of Marshmallows_, a traitorous voice whispered in Byakuran's mind. He groaned and fell forward, hitting his head on the desk. After a few calming breaths, he raised his head, eyes burning yet again. _So you're coming for me? Well fine, all I have to do is be ready for you when you get here!_ He thought fiercely to himself. Then the report of the latest attack reached him and he swore. The outpost by the Lovente River had just been wiped out. A base camp manned by nearly two hundred soldiers completely destroyed by only ten people. Almost a third of them had no marks on their bodies, they had been found much like the first three outposts, but the others... Burns, cuts, blunt force trauma, electrical shock, and of course, the Flame characteristics. Some had been wrapped in vines, others frozen, a few had patches of skin eaten away by Storm Flames, others covered in handcuffs like the tales of Alude the first Cloud Pillar... it was chaos and yet... there was a strange kind of order to it, as though it had all been... _Planned,_ Byakuran realized with a slight jolt. _Tsunayoshi is _planning_ his attacks, systematically wiping out my soldiers as he makes his way, as slow and unstoppable as a glacier, to the palace._ It wasn't a comforting thought. Not in the slightest. In fact, it was one of the most terrifying thoughts Byakuran had ever had. And the thought that he was scared by a report... a single piece of paper and the words, the ideas, presented on it... with a growl, Byakuran stormed from his office and down the halls, desperately searching for something. Was it relief? An answer? Rest? Exhaustion that swamped him and forced him into sleep? Exercise? Something to break? A fight? He didn't know. He didn't particularly care. He just needed to be moving, not thinking, acting. He was losing his mind. How much longer could he last? No-one knew. No-one but the enraged Prince tearing his way through the soldiers lining the road and filling the forest, methodically destroying the defenses Byakuran had foolishly thought would protect him. Had he really believed a Vongola could be weak? Did he really think a Vongola would be stupid? Was he really so foolish as to believe the reports that Tsunayoshi de la Vongola, son of Iemitus de la Vongola, would be a coward? Yes. He had, he did, he was. But not now. Oh no, not now. Now he cursed his own stupidity even as he cursed Tsunayoshi's cunning, detested his own weakness as he feared Tsunayoshi's strength. He would fall by the hand of the so called No-Good Prince.

/*/

Tsuna noticed another group of hapless soldiers and sighed. He dropped into a tree just far enough from the soldiers for them not to notice his band, and waited for his Pillars and other traveling companions to pass beneath him. "I wouldn't keep going just yet," he said as he landed in front of them, startling Hibari and making him growl in extreme annoyance. Tsuna just gave him a blank look then jerked his head toward where he had seen the soldiers. "I want to take care of these. I'll let you take the first Pillar _Baka_uran sends out to face us," he said. Hibari grunted, but laid down and slept. Tsuna put out his Flame and turned to Mukuro and Chrome. "Care to help me scare these soldiers witless?" he asked, the same mad grin that he had used when asking Hibari to help him shock Gamma appearing on his face and scaring more than a few of his friends. The Illusionists shook off their disquiet, grinned, and gripped their tridents. Nodding, Tsuna began to run, the twins following him while making illusions of the other Pillars, adding blood smears. The prince broke free of the trees with a scream and a not quite fake trip. The soldiers turned at the sound.

"Hey kid, what are you doing here?" one asked. Tsuna noted that he was from Millefore and grinned to himself.

"H-help me!" he yelled, stumbling over to the startled soldiers.

"Get off me kid! Don't you know who we are?!" asked the hapless soldier Tsuna had grabbed.

"Y-you're s-s-soldiers in Ba-Byakuran's ar-army, r-r-r-right?" he stuttered, making the men feel a little sorry for the boy. He looked so soft and weak, those warm chocolate eyes pleading for mercy.

"Yeah, little Vongola brat. We are. So get off!" the soldier said, obviously trying to pull together his brash facade, as he shook Tsuna off. Tsuna fought to keep from glaring at the man for calling him a brat, and won, before falling away from the man. He looked up with watery eyes and a trembling lip.

"P-please, there are scary people chasing me! I was walking through the forest when I ran into these scary guys surrounded by bloody soldiers. Please, you have to help me! Their going to kill me!" he whimpered, losing the stutter in the middle of his performance. Luckily, the soldiers weren't too bright and missed how his voice grew more assured and just chalked it up to him being relieved that they were listening to him.

"Okay kid, calm down before you hurt yourself," another soldier said, crouching beside the trembling boy. Tsuna looked into his eyes and saw he was a good man. Seeing this, the prince allowed him to see his true nature. Before he could react, Tsuna had his arms around his neck.

"Thank you!" Tsuna called out as he moved, then whispered in the man's ear, "you have a good heart. Don't look to the north if you value your mental health." He froze at the quiet words from the Prince of Vongola, but nodded slightly and helped the younger boy to his feet.

"Don't thank me yet boy. Come on, I think I might still have some trail mix you can munch on," he said, leading Tsuna into his tent. Inside, Tsuna dropped all pretense and regarded the young soldier levelly.

"I have a proposition for you, soldier," he started. The young man held up a hand, cutting the prince off.

"Forgive the interruption, Prince, but why are you here?" he asked. Tsuna smiled.

"I didn't want Hibari to wipe out yet another group of soldiers. He's had his fun, now it's Mukuro and Chrome's turn," he said, the screams of terror sounding outside the tent. "Though I will admit, I wish Mukuro had his sister's kind heart. Then again," here the prince paused for a moment, his face pensive, "Chrome has her own brand of creepy. Probably because she learned how to use illusions from Mukuro. Creepy pineapple head," the prince finished, shooting a rather dirty look toward the outside where no doubt both illusionists were scarring many veteran soldiers for the rest of their lives.

"Excuse me, but you said something about a proposition?" the older man said, cutting off Tsuna's mini rant.

"Ah yes. Leave Millefore and join Vongola. I promise you a comfortable house, a recommendation letter for any job you wish to take up within the kingdom, full citizenship, and all rights, privileges, and services that go with it," Tsuna said with a smile. The soldier blinked at him.

"So you're saying, if I ditch Millefore, you'll pretend that I was born here and forget that I ever opposed you?" he asked. Tsuna nodded.

"And I will extend the same offer to the soldiers of the Millefore who remain in Vongola after I roast the Marshmallow Idiot." The soldier snorted.

"A fitting name, Sire. I accept your offer, Prince Tsunayoshi," he said with an awkward bow. Tsuna's smile softened further and he lifted the soldier's head.

"Your name, citizen?" he asked kindly.

"Erik, Erik Gesso," the soldier said proudly. Tsuna tilted his head, then grinned.

"Erik... a good name. I look forward to seeing where life takes you, Erik Gesso de la Vonglola," he said, a mysterious gleam in his eyes. The tent flap was thrown open and a frightened soldier looked in.

"Captain Gesso! The Vongola Pillars are attacking, and they look like they've been drinking the blood of our comrades!" he screamed. Tsuna narrowed his eyes and stood. The soldier noticed the change in the boy's demeanor and was about to question it when Tsuna brushed past him.

"MUKURO! STOP THIS VAMPIRE NONSENSE THIS INSTANT OR I'LL BE HAVING ROASTED PINEAPPLE FOR MY SNACK!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the confused mess of the campsite and stilling the soldiers. Erik felt a shiver of pride run up his spine, causing him to stand taller behind his prince.

"Kufufu~. It would seem the little prince is showing his true colors," Mukuro said as he dissolved his illusions. Chrome was a step behind.

"Sire," breathed Chrome, surprised by the Flame burning in her prince's eyes as he stalked toward Mukuro.

"Don't worry Chrome, I won't hurt him... too much," Tsuna growled. Mukuro shivered as he watched the Vongolian prince wind his way through a battleground toward him with the ease and majesty of a lion. All who were still conscious winced as Mukuro experienced the wrath of the Sky first hand.

"Man, that's rough. Now I get why everyone who came back from border patrol was busted up. Actually, I'm kinda surprised they made it back at all, seeing this," Erik said. Chrome nodded.

"Sire can be a bit... harsh... at times. Mukuro has been the only one to bring out this side of him... that we know of... so far," Chrome said quietly, looking away from the sight of her twin being tortured by her prince.

"What do you have to say now, Mukuro?" Tsuna said a moment later, flicking dirt and blood off his gloves as he glared down at a beaten and slightly bleeding Mukuro.

"I... I'm sorry... your Highness," Mukuro moaned, glaring at the prince. Tsuna nodded, then looked at Erik.

"Wanna come with us? I'm afraid we'll be sweeping your comrades away as we push for the palace, but you may want to see the aftermath of our battle with _Baka_uran," he said. Erik shook his head, a faint smile on his face.

"No. It would be better if you made me another victim, at least as far as anyone in the palace knows. I'll be the messenger for this group. Don't want to make people suspicious with my lack of injury now do we?" he answered with a wry smile. Tsuna gave him an apologetic smile.

"Then you know what comes next," he said, his gloves returning to their metallic state. Erik did know what came next. It didn't make it any easier.

/*/

_Why did I agree to do this again?_ Erik wondered, not for the first time, as he bandaged himself up as best he could with the supplies left in the camp after the Prince had left. He had been unconscious for quite a while, but he felt like he could still feel the paralyzing effect of the Flame of the King's harmony attribute. How the young man had learned that much about his Flame in the two and a half years, give or take, since Byakuran had taken over when he needed to kept a low profile he didn't know, but it was terrifying. Honestly though, Erik knew he had made the right choice. And the Prince had left a great many medical supplies. And he hadn't liked what he was doing. Though, that didn't stop him from unleashing a psychotic illusionist on the camp. Shrugging to himself, Erik soon began to hobble to the nearest camp. When they caught sight of him, their faces were almost enough to make him burst out laughing. Instead, he forced himself to play the part laid out for him. "Vongola... two... boys. The whole camp... wiped... out," he gasped before pretending to pass out.

"_Oya oya, it seems the little soldier boy is a fair actor_," the silky, dangerous, voice of the male illusionist spoke in his mind. Erik mentally smirked.

"_You never met my mother_," he quipped. Mukuro's creepy laugh rang out in his head and the pressure he hadn't even noticed before vanished. He fought the urge to shake his head. The Vongolian Inner Circle was insane, no doubt about it. And their Prince was turning at least slightly sadistic. The Eight Kingdoms were in for a shock when Tsuna finished his move, that was for sure. Erik just hoped he'd be able to survive The Move. It was promising to be epic, bloody, traumatizing, and a testament to the power of Vongola.

/?/

A/N: Yes, I know, kind of a lazy ending, but I've made you wait long enough. The end is coming, but it will be a while. My apologies.


End file.
